Archive · 14 Aug 2026
WJI seeks special GO for housing for agency-area journalists
Journalists are people who write news stories and report what is happening in the world.
In a place called Bhadradri Kothagudem district, most of the land is called an 'agency area'.
Journalists there say they are not allowed to get houses or land to build houses because of special rules for agency areas.
A group called the Working Journalists of India, or WJI for short, asked the government to help.
They want the government to give journalists houses through a housing program.
They also want health insurance so journalists can get treated at hospitals when they are sick.
They asked for money for older journalists who retire and for families of journalists who sadly pass away while working.
They also want people who hurt journalists to be caught and punished.
The WJI gave the government a letter listing all these requests.
Now they are waiting to see if the government will say yes.
WJI district committee submitted a memorandum to Additional Collector Venugopal seeking a special GO for houses and house sites for journalists in agency areas of Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
More than 90 per cent of Bhadradri Kothagudem district falls under agency areas, with around 1,225 journalists working there for newspapers, television channels and other media organisations.
The delegation urged the government to include agency journalists in Indiramma housing schemes, including 2BHK and 3BHK houses, saying agency laws were depriving them of basic rights.
WJI sought Rs 5 lakh health insurance with cashless treatment, a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 for senior journalists above 60, and an ex-gratia of Rs 25 lakh to families of journalists who die on duty.
The demands also included immediate FIR registration in attacks on journalists, press club buildings at every mandal headquarters, and government advertisements for small newspapers and web portals.
- Who
- A delegation of the Working Journalists of India (WJI) district committee led by convener Mobagapu Anand Kumar, who submitted the memorandum to Additional Collector Venugopal.
- What
- Demands for a special Government Order to provide houses and house sites to agency-area journalists, along with health insurance, pensions, ex-gratia and other welfare measures.
- When
- Thursday, though the specific date was not mentioned in the article.
- Where
- Bhadradri Kothagudem district.
- Why
- Because more than 90 per cent of the district is agency area and WJI says agency regulations deny journalists housing and other basic rights.
- Organisation
- Working Journalists of India (WJI) district committee
- Memorandum submitted to
- Additional Collector Venugopal
- District
- Bhadradri Kothagudem
- Agency area coverage
- More than 90 per cent of the district
- Journalists based in district
- Around 1,225
- Housing demand
- Special GO plus inclusion in Indiramma schemes (2BHK and 3BHK houses)
- Health insurance sought
- Rs 5 lakh with cashless treatment via health cards
- Pension and ex-gratia demands
- Rs 10,000 monthly pension for journalists above 60; Rs 25 lakh ex-gratia for families of journalists who die on duty