Finally, Andhra Pradesh government had designated some nodal officers to help the Covid 19 positive journalists.
More than two dozens of journalists have succumbed to the virus in the last one year and the number is increasing in the second wave.
The government had not helped even a single journalist till date, despite repeated appeal for the past one year.
It was only in the second wave that the AP government had declared journalists as frontline warriors.
When it comes to the covid tests or treatment or even the vaccination, the government had not extended any special support to the journalist community till date.
However, with repeated requests, the government had named a senior officer in the Information and Public Relations Department, P Kiran Kumar, as the state level nodal officer and the contact point for the journalist community to avail the emergency services.
The government had also appointed senior officers at the district level in the Information and Public Relations department to be the contact persons for the media fraternity.
Information and Public Relations Commissioner T Vijayakumar Reddy told the journalists to contact the department in the respective district for assistance in covid tests, treatment or even the vaccination.
Though the state government had announced exgratia for the journalists, not a single journalist is helped so far.
It is to be seen if the nodal officers are useful and helpful at least now and help the journalists.
