Internet access to be extended to every home, school, local ward office

Kathmandu : Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Parbat Gurung has urged the bodies concerned to give suggestions on the topics to be included from the journalism sector in the government’s upcoming policy and programmes, and the budget.

In an interaction with journalists organised by the Ministry here today, he said the government was committed to resolving the problems seen in the media sector and solicited for suggestions. “Many improvements along with policy reforms have to be done in the media sector. The suggestions from experts in the sector are needed for that,” the Minister for Communications said.

Minister Gurung, who is also the government spokesperson, expressed the commitment to address the issues faced by journalists from the remote districts also due to the problems seen in the telecommunications. The Minister for Communications and information Technology also stated that the government has a plan to expand Internet to every local level ward office, school and home.

“All should not be lumped in the same basket and seen from the same perspective, but anarchy and aberration has been flourishing in journalism. Questions have been raised on its credibility and time has come for also measuring its quality,” he said, making an assessment of journalism.

On the occasion, president of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Govinda Acharya said that the Federation has been always fighting for the rights of the journalists and it would be doing so in the coming days as well. Member of the Advertisement Board Balaram Thapa said the problem seen in the public welfare advertisement would be addressed on the basis of the suggestions from every district.

FNJ Saptari Chapter president Jitendra Khadga called for making arrangements for the payment of the amount given for publishing the public welfare advertisements from the districts itself. FNJ Jhapa Chapter president Taramani Sapkota demanded that provisions should be made for registering the media at all levels- federal, provincial and local.

FNJ Syangja Chapter president Om Prakash Sharma called for providing scholarship to the journalists to study journalism in higher level. Secretary of the FNJ, Sheetal Prasad Mahato, stressed on making the media inclusive in content and participation.