Tamil Nadu enhances solatium to kin of journalists who die of Covid-19

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government has enhanced from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 10 lakh the solatium for the kin of government recognised journalists who die of Covid-19. Similarly, the government has enhanced the one-time incentive to the journalists from Rs 3,000 to Rs 5,000.
Following a request from journalists’ forums to increase the compensation and incentive to working journalists, the CM has issued an order to enhance the relief aid, said a press statement issued by the government on Wednesday.
The statement said amidst the ravaging pandemic, journalists are taking correct information from the government to the public and creating awareness among the public. They are bridging the gap between the people and the government. In a bid to encourage them and appreciate them for discharging their duty effectively during the pandemic, the government has decided to enhance the incentive and compensation to the recognised journalists, including photojournalists and cameramen, attached to government-approved print and electronic media.
Welcoming the CM’s announcement, office-bearers of Chennai Press Club have requested the government to enhance compensation from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. They have urged the government to cover all the working journalists instead of extending the welfare relief only to the government recognised journalists as many of them are economically poor. The forum has requested the government to expedite the pension scheme to the kin of journalists who lost their lives to Covid-19. It has also urged the government to expedite the process of collecting information of journalists who died of Covid-19 and extend the relief aid at the earliest.