Centre approves financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each in death cases of journalists due to COVID

New Delhi: The Government today said that it has approved financial assistance of 5 lakh rupees each in respect of death cases of journalists due to Covid-19.

In a written reply to an unstarred question in RAJYA SABHA, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, Prakash Javadekar said that his ministry has carried out a special drive for financial assistance under the Journalist Welfare Scheme.

Mr. Javadekar said his ministry had issued an advisory on 22nd April, 2020 advising all media persons to take due health related precaution and requesting media houses to take necessary care of their field staff as well as office staff.

The Minister asserted that the ministry of labour and employment through its advisory to all chief secretaries of states and union territories and all employers’ association has advised all the employers of public and private establishment to extend their coordination by not terminating their employees, particularly casual or contractual workers from job or reduce their wages.

He further said, the ministry of Home while issuing consolidated guidelines for containment of Covid-19 epidemic in the country from time to time, kept print and electronic media under exceptions from closing down directions issued for commercial and private establishment.