In what can be termed as good news for journalists working in the state of Odisha, the state government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has launched a health insurance scheme specifically for them. The scheme was announced by the CMO and will be implemented by the Information and Public Relations Department.
The scheme is called "Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana" and the first phase has been implemented from June 1, 2018. In this phase, 3,233 journalists will get health insurance coverage amounting to ₹2 lakh a year. According to the official statement, further benefits include coverage of at least five members of the journalist’s family.
Journalists who are covered under this state health insurance scheme will be given a Health Insurance Card from the District Information and Public Relations Officer (DIPRO) that are situated in their districts. Additionally, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was also visited by a delegation of Bhubaneswar-based journalists who met him at the state secretariat to thank him for this initiative.
The delegation also spoke to the Chief Minister about the issues they faced in the line of duty in the state. Lauding the Chief Minister’s insurance scheme, the delegation also pushed for a pension scheme for the journalists.
*Source: Business Standard
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