POKHARA, August 1

Minister for Information and Communications Minendra Rijal on Saturday stressed the need to promulgate the new statute with demarcation of federal provinces.

Speaking at a programme organised to felicitate journalist Kusum Keshav Parajuli with Dayashankar Palikhe Memorial National Journalism Award in Pokhara, Minister Rijal stressed the need to bring out a new statute with demarcation of federal states even if it took fifteen more days.

“We have to deliver the new statute with demarcation of federal provinces and a clause to amend the provisions,” Rijal added.

Stating that the draft statute had received 90 per cent consensus, Rijal said that the country had no choice but to deliver the statute. “It is better to wait 15 more days and ensure demarcation of new provinces in the statute,” he said.

He added that the new statute should incorporate religious freedom.

In another context, Rijal said that neither all printed documents were newspapers nor all online webpages were media. “Only TV stations, radios, and printed papers which meet the minimum requirement can be considered as media,” he said.

He said that he would never compromise on press freedom, freedom of expression, and religious freedom. He complained that lack of support from stakeholders had held his ministry back from bringing out a new mass communication policy.