Gurung elected PCN Gorkhapatra chapter Chair

By TRN Online, Kathmandu, Dec 3: Sujan Gurung has been elected chairman of Press Center Nepal (PCN), Gorkhapatra chapter, today.

The 6^th convention of the PCN Gorkhapatra chapter that formed an-11 member executive committee elected Gurung unanimously to the post of chairmanship with Shiva Maya Tamang as the vice chair, Mohan Dahal as the secretary and Nilima Adhikari as the treasurer. 

Speaking as the chief guest in the inaugural session of the convention, PCN general secretary, Santosh Paudel, pointed at the need of interaction and coordination among all organisations of the working journalists so as to ensure their rights.

"PCN has over five thousand members across the country, and as we are for workers and working journalists, we call upon all other organization for cooperation to resolve issues of working journalists including in the Gorkhapatra Corporation," he said.

Upesh Maharjan, vice-chairman of the PCN, highlighted on the need for settling problems of the contract-based journalists in the Corporation and expected that the new leadership of the PCN would focus on it.

Another PCN vice-chairman, Bidur Khadka, also in-charge of PCN Institutional Province, stressed on the important role of PCN to raise voices of the working class people and the oppressed ones. "PCN should uphold the journalistic principle of voice of the voiceless and translate it into action."

"The FNJ Gorkhapatra chapter along with PCN can cooperate to hold joint discussion on issues of contract-based journalists and employees in Gorkhapatra as a draft of working procedures on it has been formulated, said Ram Krishna Adhikari, FNJ treasure.

Sabita Sharma, newly elected central member of the FNJ from Gorkhapatra, spoke of discrimination against contract-based journalists and employees saying that there was even no provision of them to take maternity leave and mourning leave although such leaves are ensured by the Labour Act. 

She made it a point that a clear editorial policy with regard to news and views was direly needed in Gorkhapatra so as to make it more inclusive and pro-people.

Bishnu Khanal, chairman of the Nepal National Employee Organisation, Gorkhapatra chapter, said that the Gorkhapatra should keep itself away from mission journalism and stand as the news paper of the state and that the voices of the opposition parties in the parliament should also be included in its news coverage.

Speaking on the occasion, Deepak Shrestha, newly elected president of the FNJ Gorkhapatra chapter, vowed to raise voice for career growth including that of journalists and try to forge unity among all for solution to the problems related to new recruitment and promotion.

Extending his best-wishes for the PCN convention, Nagendra Sapkota, Chairman of Gorkhapatra chapter of Press Chautari, called for unity among all professional organisations to solve issues related to unequal pay and perks for the temporary and contract-based journalists and employees.

In the programme, newly elected FNJ central treasurer Ram Krishna Adhikari, members Birendra Oli and Sabita Sharma, all from Gorkhapatra, and FNJ Gorkhapatra chapter president Deepak Shrestha were also felicitated.