MORANG, Aug 19: Former President Bidya Devi Bhandari has acknowledged the crucial role of media in strengthening the democratic system.
Addressing the 21st anniversary of the Udghosh Dainik, a daily newspaper published from Biratnagar, on Monday, former President Bhandari asserted that the local media had been reinforcing the democratic practices and thus opined that protection and empowerment of such media was a shared responsibility.
The former Head of the State suggested that the media should bring the problems, livelihood and challenges faced by marginalized communities to the fore besides taking a leading role in strengthening linguistic and cultural diversity.
Revised interest rate corridor system introduced
"When the pen is used in favor of truth, fairness and the people, the society becomes aware, responsible and progressive. Hence, we should leverage the available resources to boost domestic production, provide quality education and employment to youths within the country to stop the exodus of youths to foreign shores," argued Bhandari.
Also, speaking on the occasion, Koshi Province's Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki, who is leading the coalition government formed with support from Nepali Congress, reminded that the collaboration between these two parties had significantly contributed both to the establishment and protection of democracy.
According to him, the collaboration not only ensured political stability but also delivered a remarkable 83 per cent increase in the export in the last fiscal year.
He proudly shared that the partnership between the two biggest parties in the federal parliament had led to an increase of Rs 120 billion in revenue in the last fiscal year thereby further revitalizing the national economy.
The CM also insisted that the media should neither back off to criticize the wrongdoings nor lag behind appreciating the good initiatives on the government. The criticism, he said, should be based on facts and evidences.
Likewise, Nagesh Koirala, Mayor of Biratnagar Metropolitan City, and Bhim Parajuli, a Province Assembly member, unambiguously claimed that development has gained momentum in the country since the establishment of the federal democratic republican system.
Udghos Dainik's Chief Editor Mohan Bhandari and other speakers emphasized that everyone should contribute from their respective fields to further consolidate the federal democratic republican system.
On the occasion, former President Bhandari honoured media professionals, including Baburam Bhandari and Maniram Dahal, among others, in recognition of their contribution to the media sector.
