KalingaTV News Network
Bhubaneswar: In what could gladden the working journalists of Odisha, Information & Public Relation (I & PR) Minister Pratap Jena declared a slew of benefits for them on Thursday.
Jena, while speaking to the reporters,said that the working journalists across the state will get a death benefit of Rs 4 lakh and top up financial assistance with DMET approval in addition to Health Insurance benefit for critical illness where the expenditure exceeds Rs 2 lakh under the Health Insurance Scheme.
The I & PR Minister also said that 3% interest subvention up to Rs 25 lakhs to be provided for house building loans. Subvention will be released annually after repayment of regular installment with interest by the loanee journalists.
“The journalists will get a financial assistance of Rs 2 lakhs in the event of permanent incapacitation and 3% interest subventions for four wheeler loan up to Rs 4 lakhs. Subvention will be released annually after repayment of regular installments with interest by the loanee journalists,” informed the Minister adding, “3% interest subvention for two-wheeler loan up to Rs 50,000 subventions will be released annually after repayment of regular installments with interest by the loanee journalists.”
Educational assistance to the children of deceased working journalists will also be provided at Rs 1500 per month till 10th and Rs 2500 per month for higher studies.
The Minister also announced that the State government will bear the training cost up to Rs 10,000 per journalist to facilitate 3 days/1 week/2 week training of minimum 25 and maximum 35 journalists within the state institutions like IIMC in a block period of five years.
The working journalists will get all these benefits with effect from 1st of June 2018, said a press note issued by the Information & Public Relation (I & PR) Department.
The State government had recently implemented the ‘Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Jojana’ for working journalists with effect from June 1. In the first phase, as many as 3233 journalists have been covered under this scheme.
#WATCH | Minister @jenapratap66 announces welfare measures for working #Journalists & their families which have been approved by CM Naveen Patnaik #Odisha pic.twitter.com/3ZIN3iyvHO
— Kalinga TV (@Kalingatv24x7) June 7, 2018
Ms Kalinga