Dev’s proposal for ‘Swasthya Sathi’ cover for technicians gets CM’s nod

KOLKATA: A hero truly succeeds when he becomes a real-life hero for the industry that shaped him. From supporting technicians during the Covid-19 crisis to stepping in to resolve issues that created rifts within the industry, Dev has repeatedly emerged as a Good Samaritan. It was therefore natural that many Tollywood technicians approached the TMC MP and megastar with their concerns, especially as many of them were not covered under the Swasthya Sathi scheme.

For years, Tollywood has been witnessing a demand to introduce a mediclaim facility for technicians.

Keeping their health in mind, the ‘Pradhan’ actor took the initiative towards fulfilling that long-standing demand. On March 7, he wrote to Mamata Banerjee, urging her to bring more than 7,000 technicians working under the Federation of Cine Technicians and Workers of Eastern India (FCTWEI) under the Swasthya Sathi scheme. These technicians were earlier covered under a Rs 5 lakh mediclaim facility provided by the Government of West Bengal. However, the

facility was discontinued in the current financial year, leaving many technicians and their families without crucial health protection.

In his letter, Dev requested the CM to intervene and arrange a special enrolment camp at Technicians’ Studio so that all eligible technicians could be brought under the scheme. On Thursday, the CM responded positively to his appeal.

Dev informed that a registration camp will be organised on March 17 at Technicians’ Studio, where technicians can register for the scheme.

“Grateful to share that the Hon’ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has honoured my request to avail the Swasthya Sathi Scheme for the welfare of more than 7000 hardworking technicians of the Bengali film industry,” Dev wrote on social media, sharing the letter he had written to the CM.

“Filmmaking is a collaborative effort, and we are here today because of our technicians. Many technicians approached me for mediclaim under Swasthya Sathi.

And this mediclaim is the need of the hour for the technicians. I wrote to our CM, and she has always stood in favour of our industry. I am glad I could play my part,” Dev told Millennium Post.