HoR passes Public Service Broadcasting Bill

Kathmandu, Sept 10: The House of Representatives (HoR) on Tuesday passed the Public Service Broadcasting Bill, 2081 with a majority.     

Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung had tabled the Bill in the HoR meeting seeking its approval.     

On the occasion, Minister Gurung said that Public Service Broadcasting Bill was needed to ensure Right to Information and Freedom of Speech and Expression as guaranteed by the Constitution.     

The government introduced the bill to transform Radio Nepal and Nepal Television as the National Public Service Broadcasting Agency by internalizing the norms and values of free press while upholding the democratic norms and values.     

With the passage of the Bill from the HoR, Nepal Television and Radio Nepal will be merged and run as the National Public Service Broadcasting Agency being more robust, efficient and strong.     

The National Public Service Broadcasting Agency to be formed after the merger of the two institutions will have a separate fund to deposit the grants to be received from federal, province and local levels and from the foreign government and organizations as well as the income from the National Public Service Broadcasting Agency.     

As stated in the Bill, a council shall be formed under the leadership of the Minister for Communications and Information Technology to offer policy guidelines and formulate the policies for the National Public Service Broadcasting Agency.     

The institution will have a three-member board including the chairperson appointed from the government, a first-class officer assigned by the ministry and at least a woman appointed from the ministry.     

Earlier, taking part in the discussion on the bill, the lawmakers suggested that there should be editorial freedom in the National Public Service Broadcasting Agency and that the organization should be run sans direct interference from the ministry.     

Lawmaker Sumana Shrestha said the National Public Service Broadcasting Agency should be autonomous and should be critical to the government.     

Prem Suwal, Raghuji Pant, Sobita Gautam, Achyut Prasad Mainali and other lawmakers said that the National Public Service Broadcasting Agency should raise the voices of the citizen, not merely the voice of the state. (RSS)