Pritiman Mohapatra, a senior journalist, died of COVID-19 here on Saturday.
Mr. Mohapatra, 48, is survived by his wife and minor daughter. He was working as assistant news editor with the Bhubaneswar edition of the Times of India. He had been on ventilator support after suffering cardiac arrest during his COVID-19 hospitalisation.
Odisha has lost 17 journalists in the past two months including 15 in April. On Friday, Debendra Samantray, a senior journalist with Sambad, a leading Odia daily, died of COVID-19. Jatish Khamari, a 46-year-old reporter from the same group, also died a few weeks ago.
Jharsuguda-based journalist Amjad Badshah, 45, recently passed away in Rourkela where he was admitted to a hospital after testing positive. He had worked in several television channels. Badshah was also contributing to Down To Earth, a fortnightly news magazine. Manas Ranjan Jaipuria, who was working in Zee Odisha, too succumbed to the virus. He was admitted to a hospital in Sambalpur.
Death of journalists have also been reported from Bargarh, Ganjam and Sundargarh districts.
“Last year, the State government had come up with a policy of paying ex gratia of ₹15 lakh to the next of kin of journalists dying of COVID-19. This year, we have already identified 12 journalists who have lost their lives in the second wave. We will release the ex gratia to their family members,” said Manas Mangaraj, adviser to the Information and Public Relations Department.
