The Odisha Government has granted an ex-gratia payment of Rs 4,00,000 to the families or legal heirs of thirteen journalists who have passed away. This initiative falls under the Odisha Working Journalist Welfare Scheme for the current financial year, as reported by the Information and Public Relations Department on Saturday.
The department made the announcement via a social media post on platform X, stating, “The state government is committed to the welfare of working journalists in Odisha. Financial assistance of 4 lakh rupees is being provided to the nearest relatives of deceased working journalists through the Department of Information and Public Relations. In the current financial year, this assistance has been provided to 13 families.” The post also included the names of the journalists who qualified for this assistance.
Journalists play a crucial role in highlighting various issues faced by the public through their reporting. Acknowledging their position as the fourth pillar of democracy, the state government is implementing measures for their social and financial welfare. In instances of untimely death of working journalists, the families receive financial aid to assist them during such challenging times. Under the Odisha Working Journalist Welfare Scheme, Rs 4 lakh is allocated to the next of kin of deceased journalists.
This financial support aims to alleviate some of the economic burden on the families of the departed journalists. So far this financial year, the support has been extended to the families of 13 journalists, including Ayashkant Swain (Kaling TV), Arun Kumar Mohanty, Ashutosh Kumar Patnaik, Badrinarayan Panda, Ashutosh Mishra, among others.
Journalists often face life-threatening situations to report on various incidents and draw attention to the public’s concerns before the government and administration. Therefore, prioritizing the welfare and security of journalists and their families is deemed essential.
The state’s financial assistance program is viewed as a vital support mechanism for the families of the deceased journalists. The government intends to persist in offering this financial aid to working journalists and their families in the future.
