Rs 15 lakh ex-gratia if any working journalists dies of COVID-19: Odisha CM

Bhubaneswar, Apr 27 () Odisha Chief Minister NaveenPatnaik on Monday announced compassionate assistance of Rs 15lakh to working journalists who die due to coronavirusinfection.

Patnaik said that coronavirus has created a hugehealth issue across the globe and journalists play a majorrole in creating awareness among the masses. They are workingin a difficult situation to perform their professional duties,the chief minister said.

An official release issued by the Chief MinistersOffice said that if any journalist dies due to coronavirus,his/her family members will get ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh.

Odisha governments media advisor Manas Mangarajthanked the chief minister for the governments sympatheticapproach towards journalists.

Earlier senior BJP leader and Union Minister PratapSarangi in a letter to the Union Information and BroadcastingMinister Prakash Javadekar had urged him to introduce a healthinsurance scheme for scribes covering the pandemic, in linewith the one for frontline health workers.

Sarangi, the MoS for micro, small and mediumenterprises, said that several journalists in Mumbai, Chennai,Bhopal and other places have tested positive for COVID-19. AAMRG RG