Minister for Communications and Information Technology Gokul Prasad Banskota has said that the government has been working to fulfilling the aspiration of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali' along with democracy and peace.
Addressing a special program commemorating the 119 years of the publication of the Gorkhapatra, the 57th anniversary of the Gorkhapatra Corporation and the Fourth National Journalism Day, Tuesday, he urged the mass communications media to play an important role toward fulfilling the aspiration of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali'.
Minister Banskota, who is also the spokesman of the government, said that the government has been carrying out works as per the aspirations of the people despite of various challenges and vowed to do so with priority in the coming days as well.
Stating that the government planned to make this year as the year of new change for the Gorkhapatra, the edifice of Nepali journalism, the Communications and Information Technology Minister directed the Gorkhapatra employees to work responsibly.
"There has been improvement in the Gorkhapatra in recent times, as against the previous days. But still there is need for overall change. A break in continuation is needed in the Gorkhapatra. Please, be responsible for works for that. The wrong-doers would not be condoned under any circumstances," he said.
Gorkhapatra's executive chair Krishna Murari Bhandari said the state would be stronger if Gorkhapatra became robust and vice versa, and hence he was working to make the Gorkhapatra stronger.
The Gorkhapatra has conferred this year's the Gorkhapatra National Journalism Award to Punya Poudel (Kaski). The award carries a purse of Rs 55,555.
Similarly, the Corporation has honored the Brother Books Publication, Janajyoti Book Shop and Bipin General Stores for the 'sellers selling the highest copies of the Corporation's publications'.
Also awarded on the occasion were Varieties Consulting Network Pvt Ltd, Kalash Advertising Service Pvt Ltd, Join Media House Pvt Ltd, the advertising agencies carrying out the highest number of transactions in the Gorkhapatra's publications.
Gorkhapatra is the first newspaper published in the Nepali language in Nepal. It was published on Baisakh 24, 1958 BS and it is publishing non-stop since.
The government has been marking Baisakh 24 every year as the National Journalism Day since the last four years commemorating the first publication of Gorkhapatra. Gorkhapatra has also been publishing in 38 languages at present.
The Corporation has also been publishing "The Rising Nepal', the English language newspaper daily, 'Madhuparka' a literary magazine, 'Yuwamanch', a magazine for the youth and 'Muna', a children's magazine. It has also been publishing special 'pull-out' and publications on national special occasions.
