Geneva/ Guwahati, 17 February 2021: Press Emblem Campaign (PEC), a Switzerland based media watchdog, has lauded the Indian Union government in New Delhi for exercising a massive corona-vaccination program and also extending financial aids to the bereaved families of media corona warriors. The acclaimed forum urges other nations to follow the example and go for an early vaccination for journalists.

Mentionable is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi led government has decided to offer rupees five lakh (USD 6500) each for kin of 39 journalists who succumbed to Covid-19 complications since March 2020, as proposed by the journalist welfare committee under the Press Information Bureau (PIB), an official media organ of the government.
“Appreciating New Delhi, we continue to reiterate that the novel corona virus infections have taken away the precious lives of over 800 journalists in 66 countries and still counting that reminds the necessity of precautions and also supports to the victims. India remains in fourth position of the list of media corona victims, preceded by Peru (108 casualty), Brazil (95) and Mexico (86),” said Blaise Lempen, secretary-general of PEC (www.pressemblem.ch).
India is followed by Italy (45 dead), Bangladesh (44), Ecuador (42), USA (41), UK (25), Pakistan (23), Turkey (21), Colombia (21), Panama (16), Ukraine (14), Bolivia (14), Russia (13), Spain (11) etc in the PEC prepared list of journo-victims due to the pandemic. Offering heartfelt condolences to families and colleagues of the deceased, the forum asks media persons to take vaccinations at the earliest.

PEC’s India representative Nava Thakuria pointed out that at least 16 corona journo-victim families in the country are still deprived of the concerned government benefits. They should immediately apply online (http://pibaccreditation.nic.in/jws/default.aspx) for the same and may kindly contact the concerned PIB officials (Ph. 01123488022) in need, he concluded.