West Bengal Journalists under Government Insurance Scheme
Kolkata,05 May(HS): Recognising the all out and determined efforts of frontline journalists to highlight the danger of Covid-19 pandemic and government efforts to contain its spread with the help of other similar warriors through their round the clock reports, the West Government has announced a Health Insurance scheme of Rs 10 lakhs coverage for each of them.
Welcoming the move, perhaps for the first time in the country, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted ‘Our Govt in #Bangla has also announced health insurance with up to 10 lakh coverage for frontline COVID workers, including journalists’.
Soon in another message, she said ‘Press is the fourth pillar in a democracy and must perform its duties fearlessly. We respect journalists for their contribution to society. Our Govt in #Bangla has many initiatives for the welfare of journalists’.
Though the state government despite its financial stringency had announced a similar scheme for all doctors, nurses other health care staff and all other frontline workers in the state sometime back, she did not think about the welfare of journalists who in spite of risking their own lives in most cases were severely criticised for bringing out the truth behind the state of affairs and ground reality of the state authorities in terms of their roles in containing the pandemic.
Since on many occasions, the Chief Minister and other top government officials had described these working journalists as biased against the work of the state government and its good work, her announcement of separate life Insurance scheme for them at this juncture has raised several eyebrows in several quarters.
However, we welcome her decision as to its better late than never, some of them said.
