Srinagar: As many as 326 accredited journalists of the state will be benefited by the government’s health insurance scheme, which will come into effect next month.
The health insurance is one of the welfare measures recommended by former Governor NN Vohra in July last year for the social security of journalists in the state.
The state administration on September 13 announced extending the benefits of its group mediclaim insurance policy, originally meant for the government employees and their dependent family members, to accredited journalists of the state. The policy will come into effect from October 1, 2018, for one year and is extendable annually for three years, based on the claim settlement ratio and satisfactory performance of the insurer.
Under the scheme, an accredited journalist along with five members of his or her family will be covered under a health insurance cover of Rs 6 lakh per annum at the yearly premium as admissible to the state government employees. The family will include newborn babies and aged parents within the age group of zero to 100 years.
The journalists, who opt for the insurance cover, can avail themselves of the cashless out-patient and in-patient healthcare facilities at 4,700 recognised hospitals within and outside the state.
“The welfare and social security of journalists, particularly those working in Kashmir, was always on Vohra’s top agenda,” said a Raj Bhawan official. Apart from local journalists, the Sub-Committee of the Press Council of India (PCI), comprising SN Sinha, convener, CK Nayak and Suman Gupta had met Vohra at Raj Bhawan on July 18, 2017, to discuss issues and challenges confronted by journalists in the state.
The three-member PCI team had emphasised initiating welfare measures for the accredited journalists of J&K, including institution of a welfare scheme, health insurance cover and pension.
Following the PCI meeting, the official said Vohra had written to the finance and social welfare departments to frame the policy for the social security, including health insurance cover for journalists.
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