New Delhi, Aug 2 (PTI) The Central government has approved Rs 5.05 crore as financial assistance to the dependents of a total of 101 journalists who died due to COVID-19, Rajya Sabha was informed Monday.

In a written reply to a question, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting (I&B) Anurag Thakur told the Upper House that the government undertook "a special drive" for providing financial assistance to the families of the journalists who succumbed to the viral disease.

"On the basis of applications received by the Press Information Bureau and which fulfill the criteria laid under the Journalist Welfare Scheme (JWS) administered by the I&B Ministry, a sum of Rs 5.05 crore was approved during 2020 and 2021 for financial assistance at the rate of Rs 5 lakh/family to each of the 101 families of journalists who died due to Covid-19," the minister said.

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