250 scribes undergo Covid tests in Tirupati

Tirupati: Following the death of a senior video journalist working in a Telugu news channel here on Sunday due to Covid, the district I &PR officials organised testing to the scribes on Monday. The journalists have expressed fears about their own position following their colleague's sudden demise. District Public Relations Officer S Padmaja took up the matter immediately to the District Collector Dr N Bharat Gupta, DM&HO Dr M Penchalaiah and other officials and underlined the need to immediately conduct Covid tests to all the journalists working in Tirupati.

The higher officials responded positively and made all arrangements to collect nasopharyngeal swabs from the working journalists in the city. Availing the opportunity about 250 journalists have given their samples at the mobile swab collection vehicle.

Divisional PRO B Vijayasimha Reddy coordinated the arrangements with the local press club committee. The journalists have met the Collector who was on a visit to Srinivasam and thanked him for making arrangements for swab collection.

Meanwhile, ruling YSR Congress party at the instance of Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has announced Rs 2 lakh financial assistance to the family of the departed video journalist M Parthasarathy. Minister for Panchayat Raj P Ramachandra Reddy handed over the cheque to the DPRO Padmaja in Tirupati on Monday who in turn gave it to Lokeswari, wife of Parthasarathy.