Bhubaneswar: A week after announcing health insurance cover for working journalists of Odisha, the State Government today announced a slew of other welfare measures for the mediapersons.

The government has decided to extend following benefits to 3,233 working journalists of the state.

• Death benefit of Rs 4 lakhs to the working journalists.
• Top up financial assistance with DMET approval in addition to Health Insurance benefit for critical illness where the expenditure exceeds Rs 2 lakhs under the Health Insurance scheme.
• 3% interest subvention up to Rs 25 lakhs house building loans. Subvention will be released annually after repayment of regular installments with interest by the loanee Journalists.
• 3% interest subvention for four wheeler loan up to Rs 4 lakhs. Subvention will be released annually after repayment of regular installments with interest by the loanee Journalists.
• Financial assistance of Rs 2 lakhs for the journalist in the event of permanent incapacitation.
• 3% interest subvention for two wheeler loan up to Rs 50,000 subvention will be released annually after repayment of regular installments with interest by the loanee Journalists.
• Educational assistance to the children of deceased working journalist will be provided @ Rs 1500/- per month till Class-10 and @ Rs 2500/- per month for higher studies.
• To facilitate 3 days/1 week/2 weeks training of minimum 25 and maximum 35 Journalists within the State in Institutes like IIMC, training cost up to Rs 10,000/-per journalist will be borne by Government in a block period of 5 years.

The Information & Public Relations Department has been instructed to implement these benefits immediately.

Worth mentioning, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had on May 31 ordered for implementing ‘Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana’, a health insurance cover for working journalists and their family members with effect from June 1.

A working journalist and five members of his/her family will be eligible for a health insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh under the scheme. In the first phase, 3,233 journalists have been covered under the scheme.