Manipur’s department of information and public relations (DIPR) has provided financial assistance of Rs 1 lakh to local reporter S Soniya for her medical treatment.
The financial assistance has been provided under the Manipur State Journalists Welfare Scheme (MSJWS)
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Soniya is serving as a reporter of vernacular daily, ‘Poknapham ‘.
A cheque amounting to Rs 1 lakh was handed over to the beneficiary by the deputy director (headquarters) of the department, L Ashok Kumar, in presence of T Sangeeta, APO (press), DIPR, on Thursday.
The MSJWS was formally launched by Manipur chief minister as part of a programme of the new government’s 100 days’ achievement on June 30, 2017 at City Convention Centre, Imphal.
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For the scheme, the government made a contribution of Rs 10 crore towards the Corpus Fund of the MSJWS on May 5, 2017.
The scheme provides one time financial/medical assistance to journalists and their families.
The assistance available under the scheme is up to Rs 2 lakh, provided to the family under extreme hardship on account of death of the journalist, up to Rs 2 lakh provided to the journalist in case of permanent disability rendering the journalist incapable of earning a livelihood.
Under the scheme, up to Rs 1 lakh is provided towards the cost of treatment of major ailments such as cancer, renal failure, heart ailments requiring by-pass/open heart surgery, angioplasty, brain haemorrhage and paralytic attack, any of the ailments, which is permissible for full reimbursement under the medical reimbursement facility of the government.
This would be subject to the medical expenditure not being covered under central government’s health scheme, or any other insurance/departmental health schemes, etc.
However, relief under this provision is available to the journalist only up to the age of 60 years and up to Rs 50,000 may be provided in case of accidents causing serious injuries necessitating hospitalization.
So far, seventeen media persons have availed financial assistance under the scheme since its inception.