By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, Sept. 23: President Bidya Devi Bhandari said on Monday that Nepali press has played a highly laudable role in establishing Loktantra and for social change.
Addressing a ceremony organised to mark the 50th anniversary of Press Council Nepal at Rastrapati Bhawan, Sheetal Niwas, the President said that as an important means to inform the people, the mass media should not disseminate wrong messages. “This deprives the people from getting the right information,” she said
It was a highly positive aspect that the journalists and mass media, of late, have been giving voice to the voiceless.
Stating that the goal of the free press is to build a prosperous society, she said that as the fourth organ of the state, media could contribute to realising the common national resolve of ‘Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali’.
She said the press should play its role to preserve the indigenous crops, culture and arts while exploring the issues of human rights, women, children, justice, public welfare, peace, stability and Nepal’s diplomatic relations positively.
On the occasion, President Bhandari handed over different prizes to various journalists.
She handed over Press Council Gopal Das Journalism Prize of Rs. 151,000 to Govinda Bahadur Thapa, Press Council Surrendra Bahadur Basnet Journalism Prize of Rs. 105,000 to Dr. Suresh Acharya, Press Council Code of Conduct Prize of Rs. 50,000 to Daily Nepalgunj, Banke, Press Council Language based Journalism Prize of Rs. 20,000 to Md. Hasun Miya and Literature Journalism Prize of Rs. 20,000 to Homshankar Bastola.
Likewise, Nepal Bhushan Neupane, Gorkha, Shiva Bahadur Karki and Yagya Prasad Sharma, Morang, Hari Joshi, Kanchanpur, Bal Krishna Prasad, Dhanusha, Bishnu Prasad Sharma, Dailekh and Bishwa Mani Subedi, Sunsari,were presented Press Council VeteranJournalism Prize of Rs. 20,000 each.
The President also handed over Press Council Youth Journalism Prize of Rs. 15,000 each to Manjima Dhakal of TRN, Mina Tiwari (Ghimire), Kathmandu, Ajayadip Sharma, Dang, Amar Khadka Sunsari, Dilaram Bhusal and Karun Aryal, Kapilvastu, Bidhan Shrestha, Ilam, Nilifa Shrestha, Sunsari, Som Bahadur Thapa, Kailali and Rinku Mishra (Gayatri), Dhanusha.
Also, Sabita Baniya and Harka Bahadur Shrestha were awarded Press Council Employee Prize of the year 2076 with Rs. 20,000 each and Bipul Pandey was awarded with Press Council Employee Inspiration Prize of Rs. 10,000.
Minister for Communication and Information Technology Gokul Baskota congratulated the NPC on the occasion of its 50th anniversary and the award winning journalists.
Acting chairman of Press Council Nepal Kishor Shrestha had welcomed the guests at beginning of the event.
He also handed over the 44th annual report of Press Council Nepal and its publications.