Lok Sabha Question No. 1451 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-07
Subject: Journalist Welfare Scheme
Ministry: INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING
Asked by: Naranbhai Bhikhabhai Kachhadiya, Parbatbhai Savabhai Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1451 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.12.2021

## JOURNALIST WELFARE SCHEME

1451:SHRI NARANBHAI KACHHADIYA: SHRI PARBATBHAI SAVABHAI PATEL:

## Will the Minister of INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING be pleased to state:

- (a) the  main  objectives  of  the  Journalist  Welfare  Scheme  being  run  by  the Government;
- (b) the  details  of  financial  assistance  provided  under  this  scheme  to  help  the families  of    journalists  who  have  died  due  to  COVID-19,  State-wise/UT-wise including the State of Gujarat ;
- (c) whether apart from financial assistance, employment related assistance is also provided to the families of the deceased journalists under this scheme; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF INFORMATION AND BROADCASTING; AND MINISTER OF YOUTH AFFAIRS AND SPORTS (SHRI ANURAG SINGH THAKUR)

- (a) The main objective of the Journalist Welfare Scheme is to give support to the journalists and their families in extreme hardship in a time bound and transparent manner.

(b):  On  the  basis  of  applications  received  by  the  Press  Information Bureau  (PIB)  and  which  fulfill  the  criteria  laid  under  the  Journalist Welfare  Scheme  (JWS),  a  sum  of  Rs.  6.15  Crore  has  been  approved during financial years 2020-21 and 2021-22 for financial assistance @ Rs. 5,00,000/ family to the families of 123 journalists who died due to COVID-19, State-wise/ UT-wise details of which are annexed. The  fund  allocation  of  the  scheme  has  increased  over  the  last three years as under:

| Financial Year   |   Fund allocation (Rs. in crore.) |
|------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 2019-20          |                              1.5  |
| 2020-21          |                              2.6  |
| 2021-22          |                              6.06 |

(c)  &  (d)  The  JWS  Scheme  does  not  provide  for  employment  related assistance.

****

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 1451 TO BE ANSWERED ON 07.12.2021 ON JOURNALIST WELFARE SCHEHE

| S.No.   | State            |   No. of Cases |
|---------|------------------|----------------|
| 1.      | Andhra Pradesh   |             10 |
| 2.      | Bihar            |              5 |
| 3.      | Delhi            |             11 |
| 4.      | Gujarat          |              5 |
| 5.      | Haryana          |              1 |
| 6.      | Himachal Pradesh |              3 |
| 7.      | Jharkhand        |              7 |
| 8.      | Karnataka        |              3 |
| 9.      | Madhya Pradesh   |              6 |
| 10.     | Maharashtra      |             12 |
| 11.     | Odisha           |              3 |
| 12.     | Punjab           |              6 |
| 13.     | Rajasthan        |             11 |
| 14.     | Tamil Nadu       |              5 |
| 15.     | Telangana        |              4 |
| 16.     | Tripura          |              1 |
| 17.     | Uttar Pradesh    |             28 |
| 18.     | Uttarakhand      |              1 |
| 19.     | West Bengal      |              1 |
| Total   | Total            |            123 |

******