Committee Coordinator Gaunle said the consultation committee has suggested the government to review the rules of Press Council Nepal and rewrite the Working Journalists´ Act. [break]
The draft, he said, has envisioned the need of accountable media houses with individual freedom, secrecy and respect to human rights.
Moreover, the draft has suggested the government also about how many media could be run by a single media house to end its monopoly, and what would be practical laws relating to public media and advertisements.
The draft of the policy has argued that the monitoring of media by any agency except the judiciary and Press Council could not be accepted. Similarly, it has pointed out a need to formulate the laws and policy again to make it compatible with the constitution to be drafted for federal republic Nepal.
Receiving the report, Minister for Information and Communications, Madhav Poudel said the report would contribute to operation and management of Nepal´s mass media.
"Government has no policy to interfere with media and does not intend to," he made it clear.
However, the media needs to make the government responsible at a time there is not legislature parliament, he added. The Minister further said environment for Constituent Assembly was geared up all across the country.
On the occasion, FNJ Chairman Gaunle said the FNJ was for a free and fair election with the participation of all political parties.
The consultation committee had Suresh Achara, Govind Acharya, Mahendra Bista, Yeshoda Timilsina, Bishnu Hari Dhakal and others as members.
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