Hyderabad: The Chief Electoral Officer of Andhra Pradesh Dr. I V Subba Rao agreed to issue instructions to the Arogyasri Trust to extend medical facilities under the Arogyasri Medical Scheme to all journalists in the state as per the GO Ms No: 67 dated 22^nd January 2009 on production of the Identity Cards pending issue of the Arogyasri Cards.

D Somasundar, President and Y Narender Reddy, General Secretary of Andhra Pradesh Union of Working Journalists (APUWJ) called Dr. IV Subba Rao on Tuesday, 24^th March 2009 and represented to him that the process of taking the IRIS photos of the working journalists and the members of their families in the state were completed in February 2009 but the issue of Aragua Sri Cards were stopped in view of the Model Code Conduct for Elections. They pleaded with him to instruct the concerned authorities to issue the Arogya Sri Cards immediately. Dr. Subba Rao said it was not possible to issue Arogya Sri Cards in view of the Code of Conduct coming into force. He said he would instruct the Arogya Sri Trust to extend medical facilities on the scheme to journalists and members of their families on production of their Identity Cards.

The APUWJ leaders asked working journalists in the state to use Arogya Sri Scheme for medical treatment in cases of emergency pending the issue of Cards.

They also urged the CEO to allow the accredited journalists into the Returning Officers Offices to report on filing of nominations by the candidates as was the practice in the earlier elections. The CEO promised to look into the matter.