CM assures to provide health cards to journalists

Hyderabad, Nov 26 : Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Tuesday agreed, in principle, to extend health card benefits to journalists in the State on par with Government Employees.

The assurance came after a delegation led by AP Working Journalists Federation President Md Shahabuddin Hashmi called on the Chief Minister at his camp office at Begumpet. The Chief Minister was briefed that poor journalists were finding it difficult to bear the burden of treatment for self and their family members. Citing the recent instances wherein senior journalist Mohammad Shareef died of illness, the Chief Minister was requested to extend the health card benefits.

The Chief Minister has reportedly asked the officials to study the proposal of extending the health card benefits to the journalists on par with government employees. It may be mentioned that the medi-claim policy which was launched about eight years ago lapsed this year as the government did not pay its share of contribution. INN