New Delhi: The Press Council of India on Thursday reiterated its recommendation to the Centre and state governments that journalists be included in the category of ‘COVID warriors’ and also given insurance cover.
In a statement, the print media watchdog commended the governments of Odisha, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh who have considered journalists among “frontline workers for their hard work in this pandemic situation” and have extended financial help to them.
The Press Council of India (PCI) reiterated its recommendation to the Centre and state/Union territory governments regarding insurance of journalists and for including journalists in the category of COVID Warriors.
While reiterating its resolution of September last year, the PCI urged all state governments, Union territories and the central government to frame and implement a group insurance scheme for the journalists on the lines of the policy framed by the Haryana government.
The Council also recommended to the central, state governments and the Union territories to include the journalists in the category of ‘COVID warriors’ like doctors, confer them with the same benefits and give immediate financial assistance to the families of all those journalists who died due to COVID-19.
The Council, therefore, urges the central government as well as state/UT governments to take necessary steps for the welfare of journalists, the statement said.
Earlier on May 2, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had declared all the working journalists in the State as frontline Covid warriors. The decision will benefit 6944 working journalists of the State.
Making the announcement Patnaik had said that working journalists are ‘doing a great service to the State by providing seamless news feed, making people aware of issues relating to Covid at this very trying times and they are great support for our war against Covid’.
Fresh coronavirus cases and fatalities in India hit a record daily high with 4,12,262 new infections and 3,980 fatalities being reported, taking the tally of cases to 2,10,77,410 and the death toll to 2,30,168, according to the Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.
(With Inputs From Nitesh Kumar)