“Democracy and constitution cannot be strengthened by restricting the media.

लगानी न्यूज

२८ बैशाख २०८३, सोमबार १५:४९May 11, 2026

Kathmandu. Chief Minister of Lumbini Province, Chet Narayan Acharya, said that democracy and constitution could not be strengthened by restricting media sector. In his address to the ‘Media Manthan and National Communications Conference-2083’ organized by Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Rupandehi chapter in Butwal today, the former Prime Minister said nobody should carry out any activities against the spirit of democracy.

Chief Minister Acharya said, “The journalism sector has played an important role in democratic movement and change.TAG_OPEN_div_41 It should not be forgotten that journalists, legal practitioners and human rights defenders have taken to the streets to protect democracy while the political parties are in a dormant state. ”

He also discussed with the Prime Minister about the circular issued by the federal government to provide advertisements only in government media.TAG_OPEN_div_39 Claiming that the state government is media-friendly, he said that the budget has been arranged in coordination with the stakeholders of the media sector.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Acharya expressed the belief that the discussions on the challenges seen in the media sector would help promote tourism, industry and business.TAG_OPEN_div_37

On the occasion, Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City Mayor Khelraj Pandey said that the existence of the media sector was on the verge of crisis and all should think about it.TAG_OPEN_div_35 Acting President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Deepak Acharya stressed the need for all three tiers of government to formulate media-friendly policies.

On the occasion, FNJ Rupandehi Chair Dinesh Pandey shared that extensive discussions were held on the status of media sector, opportunities and challenges of the media, economic development of Rupandehi and tourism promotion in Lumbini.TAG_OPEN_div_33

Fifteen-point Butwal Manifesto released

The three-TAG_OPEN_div_30 day Media Brainstorming and National Communication Conference 2083 concluded today with the issuance of a 15-point Butwal Declaration.

The FNJ, Rupandehi chapter is committed to protecting, promoting and upholding the constitutionally guaranteed rights including freedom of expression and full press freedom.TAG_OPEN_div_28 Likewise, the conference urged all sides to fully implement the minimum wage guarantee, arguing that all sides should be committed to the implementation of the Working Journalists Act and the Right to Information while safeguarding press freedom.

The conference has demanded the provincial and local governments to formulate necessary laws related to communications as soon as possible after adequate discussion and consultation with the stakeholders.TAG_OPEN_div_26 Likewise, the committee has urged the government to end the irregularities in the advertisement and to make the advertisement distribution transparent, proportional and inclusive and distribute it in a fair manner in all the private, community and government media. It has also demanded the implementation of proportional advertisement system for long-term policy arrangement to protect and promote the crisis-ridden media sector.

Commercial media should be encouraged to prevent misleading and misleading information coming through various platforms of social networks as its challenges have also increased with the development of information technology.TAG_OPEN_div_24 It has also been announced that a media museum will be established in Butwal with historical documents, communication materials and research materials for the purpose of a systematic study center in the field of journalism.

The committee has demanded all three tiers of government and all the concerned bodies to formulate and effectively implement a special plan for the development and promotion of Lumbini, the birthplace of Buddha, the land of world peace, and for the protection and promotion of historical, religious and cultural tourism sites of Rupandehi including the historic Jitgadhi fort, Mani Mukunda Sen Park, Siddha Baba Temple.TAG_OPEN_div_22