Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) urges the state government to initiate for compensations for two journalists who recently died due to COVID-19 complications.

It may be mentioned here that the Assam government had decided to approve Rs 50 lakh insurance cover for journalists (after practising doctors, nurses, police personnel, etc) who succumb to COVID-19 complications on duty

Recently, two Assam-based scribes succumbed to the corona aggravated physical ailments.

A senior journalist from Barak valley Ashim Dutta died of COVID-19 on September 7 at Silchar Medical College Hospital.

The 66-year-old journalist worked for a Bengali daily and he was suffering from renal problems and went for dialysis regularly.

He was admitted to the hospital after testing positive for the virus infection.

Earlier, the State lost its first scribe to the pandemic as Dhaneswar Rabha (35) breathed his last at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

He hailed from Kacharaital village in Udalguri district and he was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease and put on the regular dialysis for some time.

Rabha tested positive for COVID-19 and he was hospitalized where he died on September 6.

JFA president Rupam Barua and secretary Nava Thakuria urge Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and state health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to take a personal interest in compensating the bereaved families of the two journalists.