BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday announced compassionate assistance of Rs 15 lakh to working journalists who die due to coronavirus infection.
Announcing the decision, the Chief Minister said journalists play a major role in creating awareness among the masses about Covid-19 which has created a huge health issue across the countries of the world. “They are working in a difficult situation to perform their professional duties,” he said.
Chief Minister’s Office said if any journalist dies due to coronavirus, his/her family members will get the ex-gratia of Rs15 lakh.
Media advisor of Odisha Government Manas Mangaraj thanked the Chief Minister for the Government’s sympathetic approach towards journalists.
Earlier, Union Minister Pratap Sarangi had urged his colleague Prakash Javadekar in a letter to introduce a health insurance scheme for scribes covering the pandemic in line with the one for frontline health workers.
Sarangi said several journalists in Mumbai, Chennai, Bhopal and other places have tested positive for Covid-19.