FILE
The government on Thursday approved financial assistance to 26 families of journalists who lost their lives to Covid. Each family will get Rs 5 lakh under the Journalistb Welfare Scheme of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.
"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 condoelences to the families of the journalists affected due to Covid," an official release read.
"The Press Information Bureau pro-actively reached out to the families of many journalists who lost their lives to Covid-19 and also guided them about the scheme and filing of claims," it further said.
Meanwhile, the Journalist Welfare Scheme Committee also decided to hold JWS Meetings on weekly basis so that applications for financial assistance under JWS can be processed expeditiously.
The Committee also considered applications of 11 families of those journalists who had passed away due to reasons other than Covid-19.
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