KATHMANDU: The Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) has begun a programme to provide 'senior journalist honorarium' to senior journalists from this year.

The FNJ has honoured 16 senior journalists with the honorarium today.

The honoured journalists are Chakra Pani Nepal, Krishna Bahadur Pandey, Kamal Koirala, Devendra Gautam, Nepal Bhushan Neupane, Hari Lamsal, Padma Singh Karki, Padma Bhakta Kharel, Murari Prasad Gautam, Pravin Joshi, Baldev Thapa, Dharma Ratna Shakya, Chet Bahadur Singh, Govinda Thapa, Shankar Layal Malla and Gyan Udas.

Minister for Information and Communications Sherdhan Rai felicitated the journalists amid a function organised at the FNJ central office today.

The journalists were provided with the senior journalist identity cards and Rs 12,000 cash each. Journalists above 60 years of age and active in the journalism sector for 30 years would be honoured with the honorarium.

Speaking at the programme, Minister Rai said that the government was willing to felicitate such senior citizens active in various sectors.

Similarly, the FNJ President Mahendra Bista informed that the honorarium was managed by the FNJ's own fund for this time and expected the government's support in the upcoming days.

He said that the FNJ had managed different scholarships and insurance programmes targeting journalists and their children.

Former FNJ Presidents Dharmendra Jha and Devendra Gautam had addressed the programme.