‘TAKING GRAVE RISKS’ PUNJAB CM DECLARES ACCREDITED JOURNALISTS AS FRONTLINE WORKERS

CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Monday announced all accredited and yellow-card journalists in the state to be included in the list of frontline warriors in the fight against Covid. All Power Corporation employees in the state have also been categorized as frontline workers. These employees, along with the journalists, will now be eligible for all benefits, including priority vaccination, that frontline workers are entitled to from the state government, said the Chief Minister at a high-level Covid review meeting.

Journalists have been taking grave risks in covering the pandemic on the ground and helping spread awareness for more than a year now, noted the Chief Minister. They need to be protected, he said, adding that though many states had raised the demand for their inclusion in the frontline workers category, the Government of India had not responded so far.

His government, therefore, has decided to provide frontline protection to journalists as well as Power Corporation employees, who are also endangering their lives while maintaining critical power services in hospitals and other vital institutions.