By Siraj Khan/Lalit Basel/Govinda Sharma
Kohalpur, Feb. 20: Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba has suggested the Gorkhapatra Corporation to advance in a responsible as well as commercial manner as the 121-year-old publication is now in a digital age.
“Gorkhapatra, the initiator of formal journalism, has witnessed and played a vital role in several political and social changes in the country during its century-long run. Now it’s time to align with the digital age,” said PM Deuba while virtually addressing the inauguration of the corporation’s printing press in Kohalpur of Banke district on Saturday.

PM Deuba had virtually inaugurated and addressed the regular printing of Gorkhapatra Corporation’s publications (Gorkhapatra Daily, The Rising Nepal, Yubamanch, Madhuparka and Muna) from Kohalpur.

“Gorkhapatra is not only the country’s oldest daily but a training institute of Nepali journalism. It has been preserving the diversity of culture, tradition, language and literature,” he said.
The printing of the publications from Kohalpur will now assure that the prints will be available at the doorsteps of the readers in western Nepal every morning.

“The publications of Gorkhapatra Corporation are not anyone’s mouthpiece. They should strive to move forward smartly to compete in market by providing reliable news,” said Deuba.
He added, “Gorkhapatra has now expanded from east to west. I congratulate the corporation for starting its western publication. I am hopeful that the publications will now reach Lumbini, Karnali and Sudurpashchim Province.”

Also addressing the programme virtually, Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gyanendra Bahadur Karki congratulated the corporation saying, “The beginning of printing from western Nepal has concluded the campaign of connecting overall Nepal. Gorkhapatra, a pride of the country, reflects the overall Nepal and has been playing a vital role in the country’s journalism over the century.”

“The features of Gorkhapatra’s publications show that they are the people’s papers/magazines rather than the government’s. They have been representing the diversities of our country. Now, we hope that Gorkhapatra, also the oldest newspaper of South Asia, will move further commercially alongside presenting credible news.”

The publications of Gorkhapatra Corporation used to reach the parts of western Nepal after several days of printing. However, it has now ended.
“The printing from Kohalpur will now ensure that Gorkhapatra’s publications will reach 31 districts of three western provinces daily,” said Baikuntha Aryal, secretary at the Ministry for Communication and Information Technology.

Aryal added that the government was supporting to complete some remaining construction work for the press at the earliest.
“A campaign has already started to build a ‘Smart Gorkhapatra’ in tune with the digital age of today,” said Bishnu Subedi, executive chairman of Gorkhapatra Corporation.
“We had started printing from western Nepal from a rented space two years ago but it was suspended two months later. Now we have our own press and the printing has started from Saturday and will continue unhindered,” said Subedi.

“By effectively reporting, editing and disseminating news, information and other materials from and to the local levels of western Nepal, we can contribute to the prosperity of the region and promote the native culture and heritage,” Subedi said.

He added that the corporation has initiated discussions and begun homework to start printing from each province in the near future in collaboration with the provincial governments.
The Printing House has been constructed at Ward No. 3 of Kohalpur Municipality.

Acting editor-in-chief of The Rising Nepal Bhimsen Thapaliya, acting editor-in-chief of Gorkhapatra Daily Shiva Kumar Bhattarai, Gorkhapatra’s Planning Director Om Bhusal and Nepal Television chairman Samir Jung Shah, among others, were present in the inauguration.