The Press Council of India has urged the Centre to include journalists, who died due to COVID-19, in the category of ‘COVID warriors’ like doctors and other essential health staff, and provide them with the same benefits.
In a letter to the Centre and all state governments as well as union territories, the Press Council of India (PCI) also called for framing and implementing a group insurance scheme for journalists in line with the schemes already made by the Haryana government.
In a unanimous resolution of the PCI said, “The council resolves to recommend to all the state governments, union territories and the central government to frame and implement a group insurance scheme for the journalists in the pattern of the policy framed by the Haryana Government.”
The resolution was moved by the Press Association along with some other journalist organisations.
“The council also recommends to the central government to include the journalists, who died due to COVID-19, in the category of COVID warriors like the doctors and others and confer them with the same benefits,” the PCI said. In line with the resolution, the PCI has sent letters to the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting and all chief secretaries of states and union territories.