Pune, 31st July 2023: In a warm gesture, Guardian Minister Chandrakant Patil visited the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ) at Patrakar Bhavan in Navi Peth to extend his heartfelt congratulations to the newly elected executive committee. The visit provided an opportunity for an informal interaction with all the journalists present at the occasion.
The recently concluded elections for the PUWJ saw Pudhari news reporter Pandurang Sandbhor being elected as the President of the prestigious union. Joining him in the leadership team are Umesh Shelke (Sakal) and Swapneel Shinde (Maharashtra Times) as General Secretary and Pradnya Kelkar-Singh (Pudhari) and Poonam Kate (Rashtra Sanchar) as Secretaries. Anjali Khamitkar (Prabhat) assumed the role of Treasurer, while Harsh Dudhe (Maharashtra Times), Varad Pathak (Maharashtra Times), Vikrant Bengale (Aaj Ka Anand), Shahaji Jadhav (Sakal), Shraddha Sidid (Maharashtra Times), Vinay Puranik (Punyanagari), Ganesh Rakh (Saamna), Sambhaji Sonkamble (Lokmat), Shankar Kawade (Pudhari), and Bhagyashree Jadhav (Pudhari) were elected as executive members.
During the interaction, Guardian Minister Patil conveyed his best wishes to all the newly elected executives and assured them of his commitment to address the issues faced by journalists in the region. The PUWJ plays a pivotal role in safeguarding the rights and welfare of working journalists, and the newly elected committee is expected to uphold this tradition while working for the betterment of the journalistic community in Pune.