|
NOTIFICATION
The Governor, Himachal Pradesh is pleased to make the Scheme for Constitution and Administration of the Himachal Pradesh Patrakar Kalyan Yojna, 2017 by abolishing the Himachal Pradesh Journalists Welfare Fund Scheme, 2006 as under:-
1. Short title and Commencement. - (i) This Scheme shall be called the Himachal Pradesh Patrakar Kalyan Yojna, 2017.
(ii) It shall come into force with effect from the date of its publication in the Rajptra of Himachal Pradesh or e-Gazette.
2. Definitions:-
(a) “Adverse Situation” means unfavorable or critical situation due to ill health and major accidents etc.
(b) “Committee” means the Committee constituted for the purpose of administration of the Yojna as provided in the point no. 4;
(c) “Director” means the Director of Information and Public Relations Department, Himachal Pradesh;
(d) “Government” means the Government of Himachal Pradesh;
(e) “Patrakar Kalyan Fund” means a fund created with the amount of Rs. 1,00,00,000/- (Rupees One Crore) only and amount accumulated in old Himachal Pradesh Journalists Welfare Fund Scheme, 2006 amounting to Rs. 31,85,018/- (Thirty one lakh eighty five thousand and eighteen) only for the purpose of providing financial assistance to serving accreditated journalists and retired accreditated journalists;
(f) “Permanent incapacitation” means incapacitation which renders the serving accreditated journalist wholly unfit for working as such by an accident and suffering from incurable diseases;
(g) “Retired Accreditated Journalist” means an accreditated journalist who had retired after rendering a minimum service of at least twenty years as accreditated journalist with the Government of Himachal Pradesh and had attained the age of fifty eight (58) years and has not taken up any other gainful employment after such retirement other than journalism;
(h) “Serving Accreditated Journalist” means a working Journalist who has been given accreditation by the Government of Himachal Pradesh as per the provisions of Himachal Pradesh Press Correspondents Accreditation and Recognition Rules.
3. Purpose of the Yojna:- The purpose of the Yojna shall be to provide financial assistance to the serving accreditated journalists and retired accreditated journalists in adverse situations as accidents and illness etc.
4. Constitution and Administration of the Yojna:- (i) The Yojna will be administered by the Government and will be operated by the Committee comprising of the following:-
(a) Hon’ble Minister-in-Charge of the Information and Public Relations, Chairman
Himachal Pradesh.
(b) The Administrative Secretary of Information and Public Relations Member to the Government of Himachal Pradesh.
(c) The Finance Secretary or his representative not below the rank of Member
Deputy Secretary to the Government of Himachal Pradesh
(d) The Director (I&PR), Himachal Pradesh Member Secretary
5. The Committee shall discharge the following functions, namely:-
To decide, approve and sanction a lump sum grant as financial assistance to the serving accreditated journalists and retired accreditated journalists or their dependents/legal heirs in adverse situations viz. death, illness, major accident etc. of the serving accreditated journalist and retired accreditated journalist and permanent incapacitation of the serving accreditated journalist.
6. Assistance in Adverse Situations:- In emergent cases, the Director, Information and Public Relations, Himachal Pradesh would be the authority to grant financial assistance of Rs. 25,000/- (Rupees Twenty five thousand) only from fund of the Yojna as an immediate financial assistance to serving accreditated journalists and retired accreditated journalists or their dependents/legal heirs on production of documentary proof regarding death certificate, illness or accident etc. and subsequently its ex-post-facto approval would be obtained from the Committee.
7. Criteria for financial assistance to serving accreditated journalists and retired accreditated
journalists from the H.P. Patrakar Kalyan Yojna, 2017:-
(a) Financial assistance to serving accreditated journalist:-
(i) in case of permanent incapacitation for
further service while performing field
duties as journalist Rs. 1 lakh (Rupees one lakh) only.
(ii) in case of death while performing field Duties Rs. 2 lakh (Rupees two lakh) only.
(iii) in case of death during attack or
any untoward incidence of violence Rs. 3 lakh (Rupees three lakh) only.
(iv) in case of medical emergency or cancer, upto Rs. 50,000/- (Rupees fifty thousand) only
as per emergent need for major disease as kidney
transplant, heart disease etc.
(b) Financial assistance to retired accreditated journalist,-
(i) in case of death Rs. 50,000/- (Rupees fifty thousand) only.
(ii) in case of medical emergency or cancer, upto Rs. 50,000/- (Rupees fifty thousand) only
as per emergent need for major disease as kidney
transplant, heart disease etc.
8. Patrakar Kalyan Fund:- (i) Patrakar Kalyan Fund shall be created with a sum of Rs.1,00,00,000/- (Rupees One Crore) only as approved by the Government which shall be kept in a nationalized bank in a separate bank account, which will be maintained by the Director (I&PR); and funds accumulated in old Himachal Pradesh Journalists Welfare Fund Scheme amounting to Rs. 31,85,018/- (Rupees Thirty one lakh eighty five thousand and eighteen) only will now be placed in Patrakar Kalyan Fund.
(ii) The amount available in the fund shall be drawn by the Director, Information and Public Relations, Himachal Pradesh only to grant financial assistance to serving accreditated journalists and retired accreditated journalists or their dependents/legal heirs (in case of death).
9. Eligibility for availing financial assistance from the Patrakar Kalyan Fund:- The serving accreditated journalist or retired accreditated journalist beneficiary or their dependent/legal heir shall be eligible for availing assistance from the fund,
(a) in the event of death of a serving accreditated journalist or retired accreditated journalist, financial assistance will be released in favour of the surviving spouse, his/her dependent, children or legal heir as the case may be or in the event of unmarried or single serving accreditated journalist or retired accreditated journalist, the financial assistance will be released in favour of his or her dependent father or mother as an immediate relief;
Provided that while considering the request for financial assistance, the Committee shall take into consideration the financial condition of the applicant(s) and also take into consideration supporting document or other evidence which should be called for before sanction or recommendation of the financial assistance.
(b) In the event of medical emergency or any other adverse situation, assistance will be released to serving accreditated journalists and retired accreditated journalists as the case may be, on need basis after taking approval of committee for the same. In this case serving accreditated journalist or retired accreditated journalist will be required to produce relevant documents in support with claims;
Provided that serving accreditated journalist or retired accreditated journalist while availing medical assistance or claim form the Patrakar Kalyan Fund shall have to submit an undertaking that he or she had not claimed it from his or her media organization and a certificate in this respect may be taken from the employer of his or her media organization that he or she had not taken medical benefits or claim from their respective media organization.
(c) Since the old Himachal Pradesh Journalists Welfare Fund Scheme will be replaced by new H.P. Patrakar Kalyan Yojna, 2017 hence who are already subscribers of Himachal Pradesh Journalists Welfare Fund Scheme, 2006 will now be considered as member under this new Scheme.
(d) Serving accreditated journalists or retired accreditated journalists whose annual family income is less than Rs. 1, 80, 000/- (Rupees One lakh eighty thousand) only shall be eligible for availing assistance from H.P. Patrakar Kalyan Yojna. In this behalf serving accreditated journalists or retired accreditated journalists will have to submit annual family income certificate as certified by the competent Revenue Officer not below the rank of Tehsildar (Class-I)/Sub Divisonal Magistrate of the area with their application for availing financial assistance from the H.P. Patrakar Kalyan Yojna.
10. Procedure for application for availing financial assistance from the Yojna:-
(a) An application for financial assistance from the Yojna shall be made in the prescribed form-I attached with this Yojna. The State level serving accreditated journalist and retired accreditated journalist shall submit their application directly to the Director (I&PR). The District/Sub divisional level serving accreditated journalists or retired accreditated journalists shall submit the same through the concerned District Public Relations Officer of the District. The District Public Relations Officer along with his comments shall forward such applications completed in all respects to the Director (I&PR). The Director (I&PR) as a Member Secretary of the Yojna shall place the complete case before the Committee for approval and further action.
(b) On the recommendation of the Committee, amount of assistance would be sanctioned out of fund of the H.P. Patrakar Kalyan Yojna, 2017.
11. Annulments/revocation of assistance:- Financial assistance sanctioned under the Yojna shall be liable to be recovered at any time, with interest at prevailing rates, if it is found in future that the assistance was obtained on the basis of false information or by way of suppression or misrepresentation of facts.
12. Auditing of funds of the Yojna:- The accounts of the Yojna shall be maintained by the Director, (I&PR) in accordance with settled principles of accountancy and all payments from the Yojna shall be made by ‘Account payee’ cheque or through RTGS as the case may be. The account of Yojna shall be got audited from time to time from the Local Auditor by the Director (I&PR).
13. Powers of committee:- The Committee is empowered to make recommendations for necessary changes, amendments, modifications in the Yojna to remove any hardships faced in the implementation of the Yojna, keeping in view the basic objectives of the Yojna intact.
14. Power to amend the Yojna:- The Government of Himachal Pradesh shall be empowered to amend the Himachal Pradesh Patrakar Kalyan Yojna, 2017 as and when required as per recommendations of the Committee.
15. General:- Grant of financial assistance from the Yojna to any serving or retired accreditated journalist is not a matter of right. Assistance shall be extended depending on the committee’s satisfaction regarding the eligibility or merits of the cases and the financial resources available for the purpose. The committee reserves the right to reject or accept any application without assigning any reasons thereof.
By order
Chief Secretary (IPR) to the
Government of Himachal Pradesh
Endst. no. Pub-A (4)-2/2002 Dated: Shimla-2 24th March, 2017
Copy to:-
1. All Administrative Secretaries to the Govt. of H.P.
2. The Accountant General, H.P., Shimla.-3.
3. All Heads of Department in H.P.
4. All the Deputy Commissioners in H.P.
5. Director, Information & Public Relations, H.P., Shimla-2.
6. Deputy Controller, Printing & Stationary, H.P. Govt. Press, Shimla for publication in H.P. Rajptra with the request to send two copies of the Rajptra to this Department.
7. All the District Public Relations Officers in H.P.
(Pramod Singh Chauhan)
Under Secretary (IPR) to the
Government of Himachal Pradesh
Form-I
See point no. 10 (a)
Application Form for Financial Assistance to the Serving Accreditated Journalist or Retired Accreditated Journalist
To
The Director,
Information and Public Relations Department,
Himachal Pradesh, Shimla-171002.
|
1
|
Name of the applicant in full (in capital letters)
|
|
|
2
|
Father’s/Husband/Wife Name
|
|
|
3
|
Mother’s Name
|
|
|
4
|
Age and date of birth
|
|
|
5
|
Full address
|
|
|
6
|
Proof of Certificate (Aadhaar card/Voter ID card/PAN card/Ration card)
|
|
|
7
|
Annual family income certificate verified from the Tehsildar (Class-I)/Sub Divisonal Magistrate
|
|
|
8
|
Details of Dependents including self
|
Name
|
Age/Date of Birth
|
Gender (M/F/O)
|
Relationship with beneficiary
|
Mobile No.
|
Aadhaar
number
|
Bank Account number
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
9
|
Name of Newspaper/News Agency/News Channel in/for which the applicant is/was accreditated
|
|
|
10
|
Nature of employment/engagement
(Regular employee/part-time employee/on contract/column basis/stringer/retired journalist etc.).
|
|
|
11
|
Is principal avocation that of a serving/retired accreditated journalist is/was working at the State/District/Sub Divisonal Level.
|
|
|
12
|
Amount of financial assistance sought
|
|
|
13
|
Purpose/Reason for financial assistance (attach documentary proof regarding reasonability of assistance required thereof) (Permanent incapacitation/Death while performing duty/Death during attack or untoward incidence or medical emergency)
|
|
|
14
|
In case of Death, family’s dependence on the deceased serving/retired accreditated journalist:
(a) Details regarding the service of the applicant as serving/retired accreditated journalist
(b) The applicants relationship with the serving/retired accreditated journalist (whether widow/widower/son/unmarried daughter/father/mother/any other, specify)
|
|
|
15
|
Details of financial assistance received, if any, from:
(a) Prime Minister/Chief Minister Relief Fund Rs…………
(b) From employer, from media organization/association etc. Rs…………
(c) Any other source Rs………….
|
|
|
16
|
Certification
I hereby certify that:
(a) My income from all sources is Rs………….. per annum.
(b) All the above particulars furnished by me are true to the best of my knowledge and nothing has been concealed which is relevant under this Scheme for financial assistance.
(c) I, undertake to refund the assistance if sanctioned and received, if it is found at any time that the assistance was obtained on the basis of information known to be false or by way of suppression or misrepresentation of true facts along with the interest at the prevailing interest rates applicable in nationalized banks.
|
Place: ……………………..
Date: ………………………
SIGNATURE OF APPLICANT
|