Odisha Journalists to Get More Financial Benefits

Bhubaneswar (Reporters Today Bureau): Odisha Government yesterday amended the Odisha State Working Journalists Welfare Fund Rules-2006 to provide more benefits to working journalists in the State. Following the amendment, the existing Odisha State Working Journalists Welfare Fund Rules-2006 will be called as “Odisha State Working Journalists Welfare Fund Amendment Rule-2020”.

The revised rules will come into effect from the date of publication in the Odisha Gazette. As per amendment in the journalists welfare fund rules, the Government will sanction ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to the family of a working journalist after his/her death.

The financial assistance in addition to Health Insurance benefit will be sanctioned for treatment of heart, kidney, cancer or other critical illness suffered by a working journalist or any of his/her family members if the medical expenditure exceeds Rs 2 lakh Health Insurance Scheme benefit with DMET approval. As per the sub-rules of Rule-7(1), a working journalist identified by the DIPRO through the Collector will be sanctioned house building loan upto Rs 25 lakh at 3% interest rate.