FNJ, Bagmati province gathering ends, issuing 11-point Dhulikhel declaration

The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ), Bagmati province has issued an 11-point Dhulikhel declaration. The declaration issued by a gathering of chairs of FNJ ten district chapters under the Province marks the launching of a book entitled 'We in FNJ'. It was published in coordination of FNJ 10 district chapters under the Province.

The gathering has, through the declaration, urged central and province committees to contribute for developing the FNJ as an umbrella organisation of professional journalists and to work for the job security of journalists by promoting the rights of working journalists.

The FNJ has called on media houses to reinstate those working journalists removed from work owing to the coronavirus lockdown and citing other reasons and to pay journalists.

Similarly, expressing concerns over the 'non-implementation' of Working Journalists Act by some media houses, the gathering has agreed to demand them to immediately ensure facilities guaranteed by the Act such as minimum wages, insurance and so on to journalists. Besides, the government-formed Advertisement Board is to be asked for coming up with the policy of providing local level advertisements to local media.

The declaration demanded relief to the media persons affected by different incidents like attack and threat on media persons over the issue of news have not yet decreased and action against those involved in such cases.

Federal, Provincial and Local governments have been urged to formulate policy and laws related to press guaranteeing the freedom of expression as well as asked all bodies concerned to create environment conducive for providing rights guaranteed by right to information in an easy and smooth way.

Likewise, the declaration demanded immediate implementation of Journalist treatment discount programme when it has not been implemented yet, though the government had declared to provide discount to journalist in their treatment as well as to begin distribution of red card of Department of Information and Broadcasting, registration of online and its renew from District Post Office as it has not been implemented in most of the districts.

The FNJ, Kathmandu, decided to demand the government to make arrangement of renew of online media paying fine by removing the provision of scrapping the certificate of online media are not renewed till mid-January every year.

The declaration also strictly raised the issue of urging the federal government to bring special programme for promotion of historic and tourist city, Dhulikhel.

'We in FNJ' book launched

A book titled 'We in FNJ' has been launched today through joint efforts of the FNJ presidents from the ten districts of the Bagmati province.

FNJ central president Govinda Acharya, Dhulikhel municipality's mayor Ashok Byanju and FNJ general secretary Ramesh Bista, among the officials released the book at Dhulikhel, Kavrepalanchok.

Addressing the book launching programme, FNJ president Acharya said the federation has adopted the direct election system which he believed will help make the organisation more systematic. He said the FNJ has become successful in refining the inclusiveness quota.

He stressed on further strengthening the FNJ so as to enable it to become the common and non-partisan forum of all journalists to advocate and lobby for press freedom, media rights, civic rights, human rights and the rule of law.

He said that in a bid to make FNJ non-partisan, it has so far expelled 23 members working in police force, 143 members working in the civil service and around 150 members who were elected to the local bodies.

FNJ general secretary Bista stressed on establishing labour desk at the FNJ's district, province and centre units for protecting the rights of the working journalists.