PEC welcomes New Delhi’s gesture on media corona-victims

Dec. 31: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), the international media watchdog based in Switzerland, welcomes the latest initiative of Indian Union government in New Delhi to offer supports to the families of journalists, who died of Covid-19 complications. PEC (www.pressemblem.ch) believes that it would inspire other nations to adopt similar welfare programs for media corona-victims in the respective countries.

Mentionable is that Press Information Bureau, the government sponsored media organ in New Delhi, has been collecting applications from the families of corona-media victims with an aim to support them under the journalist welfare scheme. Affected families are advised to apply with documents relating to the proof of working as a journalist, death certificate & medical document showing as Covid-19 victims and relevant income certificates or income-tax returns of the family.

India has lost 53 journalists till date since March to the novel corona virus infection aggravated ailments where as the global tally reached to 585. Till now Peru tops the list with 93 media-casualties, said Blaise Lempen, general secretary of PEC adding that Brazil (51 deaths), Mexico (42), Ecuador & Bangladesh (41 each), Italy (34), USA (30), Pakistan (22), Turkey (17), UK (12) follow India and Peru.

PEC’s country representative Nava Thakuria appreciates the initiative as various organizations including Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to announce a financial package to each media victim family as a mark of respect to those corona-warriors.  He also urges them to apply with the prescribed format (available at www.pib.gov.in) addressing the additional directorogeneral, press facilities, PIB and mail it to prspib101@gmail.com or adgpf107@gmail.com