Journalists treated like daily wage earners

Navbharat takes everyone for a ride

Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts Exclusive

The newspaper owners earn crores of rupees on the sweat of the journalists, but they are treated like daily wage earners by some of the newspapers, the Special Investigation Team of the Sprouts has learnt.

The inflation has gone up and salaries of most of the employees have been increased. But the journalists and media employees continue to toil on a meagre salary. To give justice to the scribes and bring their salary on par with others, the Union Government had set up the Majithia Commission.

The Majithia Commission fixed the salary grades of DTP Operators, Artists, Editor, Executive Editor, Sub Editor and others. However “Navabharat” daily newspaper has bypassed all these recommendations and has been irregular in paying salaries to the staff.

The journalists working in Navabharat revolted against the adamant attitude of the Navabharat management and approached the Thane labour commissioner. But they faced disappointment and could not get justice. Now they have filed a writ petition in the Bombay High Court seeking justice. Besides, the labour commissioner has forwarded this matter to the labour court. Now since the issue is expected to boomerang, the agents of the Navabharat management have begun implicating the journalists and other employees in false cases.

Readers, advertisers, Govt were taken for a ride

“Navabharat” is published in Mumbai, Nashik and Pune. 38373 copies of the Mumbai edition, 2263 copies of the Nashik edition and 11206 copies of the Pune edition are printed per day. However, the Registrar for Newspapers in India (RNI) is cheated by presenting inflated figures by the management. The print order of the Mumbai edition is shown as 200,9500, the Nashik edition is shown as 100544 and that of the Pune edition is shown as 204804. These figures are as of April 14, 2018 (before lockdown).

The circulation of most newspapers has come down by 60 per cent after the lockdown. The circulation of all three editions of Navabharat is not more than 18, 000. However, the same old figures are submitted to the RNI. This is pure cheating of the readers, advertisers and the Government. The management collects crores of rupees by hoodwinking the advertisers. The complaint has already been lodged with the Mumbai police Commissioner about this fishy affair.