Photo Source: Babushahi Network
Haryana declares working journalists as frontline COVID warriors, Journalists' forum welcomes move
Chandigarh, May 3, 2021: On the ocassion of World Press Freedom Day, the Haryana Health Minister Anil Vij declared working journalists of the state as frontline COVID warriors for providing seamless news feed amid rising coronavirus cases in the state.
The decision has been welcomed by Haryana Government Pensioners Journalists Association.
Expressing gratitude to Anil Vij, the association's co-convener and senior journalist Gautam Dev Kurukshetra along with senior journalist Devendra Uppal in a joint press statement said that at the time where the frontline workers including the police and health workers are diligently fulling their responsibilities without fearing about their life, journalists will not leave any stone unturned to do their part and cooperate with the state government in fighting the virus.
Senior Gautam Dev shared that the Haryana Government Pensioners Journalists Association has requested the state government to declare journalists as front-line workers as they go in the field to report the situation by keeping their life at risk.
"In the first phase of COVID-19, over dozens of field journalists had lost their life to COVID-19. We assure the journalists will cooperate with the government in imparting authentic information and tacking this deadly virus," he said.
On Sunday, Odhisa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had declared working journalists of the state as 'frontline COVID warriors'.
Approving a proposal, the Chief Minister has said: "Working journalists are doing a great service to the state by providing seamless news feed, making people aware on issues relating to coronavirus at this very trying times and they are a great support for our war against COVID-19". The decision will benefit 6,944 working journalists of the state, according to a statement by the CMO.