Chitwan, October 13:

Kalika FM, a community radio broadcaster in Chitwan, entered the seventh year of its operation.

The FM, which started its test transmission seven years ago, is the first radio station outside the capital to start 24 hours broadcast. Initially, the station used to broadcast programmes for six hours a day.

The FM station was also adjudged the best FM station in the western region of the country in a survey conducted last year by Equal Access.

The radio station also broadcasts musical programmes on a separate frequency band of 91 MHz, thereby making it the only radio station in the region operating twin radio stations.

Meanwhile, at a programme organised here to mark the 7th anniversary of the FM, musician Khim Bahadur Gandarva was presented with the ‘’Lifetime Achievement Award’’.

Similarly, five artistes, musicians and singers among them, from Chitwan and Nawalparasi were presented with cash awards and certificates.

Two journalists were awarded with ‘’Kalika Outstanding Journalism Award’’. The award is given each year to two journalists one each from Chitwan and Nawalparasi districts.

The recipients of the award this year are Shanta Adhikari from Chitwan district and Lal Kumar

Bhattarai from Nawalparasi district.

On the same occasion, students securing the highest marks in the School Leaving Certificate (SLC) examinations of 2007 were honoured.

They include Bikas Chepang, who secured the highest marks in the SLC exams from the Chepang community, and Asim Poudel of Chitwan and Rakesh Gupta of Nawalparasi who secured the highest marks from among the differently-abled students of their respective districts.