Mumbai: Journalists to get local train access in a week

Mumbai: Local trains are being operated for government and health department employees, but journalists - despite being in the essential services category - are still not allowed to use this service. Journalists covering the Secretariat and Legislature proceedings, met Ajoy Mehta, Chief Secretary of the State and submitted a memorandum of their demands to allow local trains to be accessible for journalists. Mehta responded positively to the delegation's demands and assured them that journalists would be permitted within a week to travel by local trains. 

The Central and State governments have included journalists in the essential services category. Several journalists are risking their lives while reporting from the field and hospitals and bringing information forward to people to create awareness on the COVID-crisis. Journalists have to travel to distant locations to cover issues related to COVID patients, and hence they should be allowed to travel by local trains, the delegation stated. 

The delegation included Secretariat and Legislature Journalists Association President Dilip Sapate, Vice President Deepak Bhatuse and former president Chandan Shirwale.