Chief Minister of Bagmati Province Dormani Paudel has urged journalists to guide the government through authentic news while being responsible for the country, people and the republic.

“There is a need for journalists to make healthy criticism of the government within the boundary of discipline and respect so the government could get time for self-evaluation,” he said inaugurating the 16th annual general meeting of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) amid a function today here.

Stating that the Provincial Government has a policy of providing public welfare and proportional advertisements to communication mediums set up within the Province including radio, television, online and print, he said the Province Communication Registrar has been vested with the responsibility to play an active role for the development of journalist in the Province.

The government in cooperation with the federal, provincial and local governments would contribute to the Fund established by the FNJ to provide retiring allowance to senior journalists, he said. Likewise, member of Provincial Assembly of the Province Prem Bahadur Pulami and Hetauda Sub Metropolitan City Mayor Hari Bahadur Mahat suggested the federal and provincial governments provide advertisements to media houses so as to make them to be self-reliant.

Other speakers—Central Vice Chairperson of the FNJ Bipul Pokharel, Secretary Ram Prasad Dahal, the Province Communication Registrar Rewati Sapkota, Chairperson of the FNJ, Bagmati Province Pratap Bista and advisor Girija Adhikari suggested that the government seeks advice from the FNJ in bringing the Media Act.

In the meeting, the FNJ, Makawanpur Secretary Ganesh Darpan Adhikari presented an annual report of the organisation and Treasurer Sudip Shiwakoti annual and economic report of the FNJ. On the occasion, Makawanpur correspondent of Rastriya Samachar Samiti, Krishna Ram Pariyar was honoured for his contribution to the society through journalism.