NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, MAY 4
Ahead of coronation, DMK president MK Stalin has announced that all journalists in Tamil Nadu will be treated as frontline workers.
The journalists will now be eligible for all benefits, including priority vaccination against coronavirus, Stalin said in a statement here on Tuesday.
Stalin in a tweet stated that all journalists working in newspapers, visual and online media risk their lives and their work will be considered as frontline workers in the state.
மழை – வெயில் – பெருந்தொற்றிலும் உயிரைப் பணயம் வைத்து செய்தித்தாள்கள், காட்சி – ஒலி ஊடகங்களில் பணியாற்றி வருகின்ற ஊடகத் துறையினர் அனைவருமே தமிழகத்தில் முன்களப் பணியாளர்களாகக் கருதப்படுவர்.
முன்களப் பணியாளர்களுக்குரிய உரிமைகள் – சலுகைகள் அவர்களுக்கும் உரிய முறையில் வழங்கப்படும்.
— M.K.Stalin (@mkstalin) May 4, 2021
Taking to Twitter, Stalin said: “All media persons working in newspapers, visual, audio and online media at the risk of their lives due to rain, sun and floods will be considered as frontline employees in Tamil Nadu.”
“Rights of Priority Employees – Privileges will be given to them accordingly,” he added.
TUJ appeals to include all journalists as beneficiaries
Welcoming the pro-journalists announcement by Mr. Stalin, the Tamil Nadu Union of Journalists (TUJ) President D S R Subash appeals to extend the benefits of frontline warriors status to the lower strata of journalists i.e.. working in small media houses, online media, YouTube channels etc for a paltry salary or earnings. He also stressed that government should ensure that all the government welfare schemes of journalists should reach even to those working in remote corners of the state and not only to elite group of journalists.
Mr. Subash also appeals the government go disburse compensation to the immediate family members of the journalists died due to Corona since the beginning of pandemic. Government should allocate a separate venue for vaccine inoculation of Journalists and their family members, he added.
Earlier, states including Odisha, Bihar, Punjab, and Madhya Pradesh have included Journalists in the list of frontline warriors in the fight against COVID-19.
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Odisha CM Patnaik declares journalists as frontline COVID warriors
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday announced all accredited and yellow card journalists in the state to be included in the list of frontline warriors in the fight against COVID-19.
The journalists will now be eligible for all benefits, including priority vaccination against coronavirus.
“Journalists have been taking grave risks in covering the pandemic from the ground, and helping spread awareness on it, for the past more than one year. They need to be protected. Though many states had raised the demand for their inclusion in the frontline workers category, the government of India had so far not responded,” said Captain Amarinder Singh said.
