Senior Odisha Journalist Vivekananda Dash Dies Of COVID-19

Bhubaneswar: Odisha lost two journalists to COVID-19 in the last couple of days. A day after ‘The Common Times’ editor Satyajeet Mohapatra breathed his last, senior scribe Vivekananda Dash passed away in a private hospital here due to COVID-related complications on Wednesday night.

Dash was 70 and is survived by his two sons and a daughter.

He was undergoing treatment at the Aditya Care Hospital, sources said.

Dash worked in Odia vernacular daily ‘Sambad’ and weekly newspapers ‘Eastern Times’ and ‘Organiser’ from 1971 to 2004.

Born in Salepur in Cuttack district, he had founded the Odia fortnightly newspaper ‘Janatantra’ in 2001 and published several articles on issues related to Dalits, tribals and human rights.

He was staying at the IRC Village.

Also Read: COVID Claims Life of Another Odisha Journalist

The second wave of COVID has claimed the lives of over 30 journalists in Odisha. At least four others had succumbed to the disease last year.

On May 2, the CM had accorded the COVID warrior status to journalists in the state. There are 6,944 working journalists in Odisha. They are being covered under Gopabandhu Sambadika Swasthya Bima Yojana and getting health insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh each.