Centre announces Rs 5 lakh for families of journalists who died of COVID-19

New Delhi: The central government on Thursday (May 27) announced Rs 5 lakh financial relief to the families of journalists who died due to COVID-19.

The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting said that it has compiled details of journalists who lost their lives due to the pandemic in the years 2020 and 2021 and started a special drive to provide assistance to their families under the Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS).

 “Today, the Central Government approved a proposal of Journalist Welfare Scheme Committee headed by Sh. Amit Khare, Secretary, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting, to provide financial relief of Rs 5 lakh to each of the families of 26 journalists who died due to COVID-19,” the ministry said in a statement.

“In the financial year 2020-21, the Central Government provided such assistance to 41 families of the journalists deceased due to COVID taking the total number to 67. Committee expressed their deep condolences to the families of the journalists affected due to COVID,” it added.

The committee decided to hold JWS meetings on a weekly basis so that applications for financial assistance under JWS can be processed expeditiously.

The Committee considered applications of 11 families of those journalists who had passed away due to reasons other than COVID-19.