Chhatrapur: Ganjam Collector Amruta Kulange on Wednesday distributed ex-gratia of Rs 15 lakh to relatives of seven journalists who died after Covid-19 affliction.
According to sources, several journalists were infected with Covid-19 virus while covering news despite the lockdown restrictions imposed across the state. In a bid to compensate families of working journalists, the Collector issued cheques of Rs 15 lakh to one member each of seven journalists who succumbed to Covid-19.
The victims Govinda Behera, Ratnakar Maharana, Pradeep Kumar Sahu, Kishore Chandra Dash, Karunakar Sahu, Nilayaranjan Patnaik and Naresh Behera had died while undergoing treatment for Corona.
The Collector handed over the cheques to the families of Covid victims in his conference hall as per a decision taken by the state government to provide assistance to families of scribes who had lost their lives while working for the media and thanked the government for the gesture.
