Kantipur Publications denied curfew pass

Kantipur Report

KATHMANDU, April 9 - In a clear bid to prevent the journalists, photo journalists of Kantipur Publications from collecting news and photographs during curfew hours and obstruct the printing and distribution of Nepal’s two most popular dailies- Kantipur and The Kathmandu Post - the government on Saturday night refused to issue curfew passes to the Publications.

This has also affected the collection and broadcast of news from Kantipur Television and FM, and gathering and posting of news on ekantipur.com.

The Valley Traffic Police Office (VTPO) which distributes curfew passes to press vehicles said the issuing of curfew passes was closed. “Other media except government media will be provided curfew passes only as per the recommendation of the Ministry of Information and Communications,“ a notice pasted at VTPO said.

However no media houses were reinforced about this new “provision”.

When contacted State Minister for Information and Communications, Shris Shumshere Rana said he was totally unaware of all this. “Today is public holiday. We haven’t done anything. I don’t know anything,” he said over the phone on Saturday night.

After Rana was reminded that the movement journalists, news collection, printing and distribution of news papers will be badly affected by the refusal to issue the curfew pass, he said, “ I just came to know about it from you, tell this to those who distribute the passes.”

VTPO officials said that as per a new Home Ministry circular, a recommendation from the information and communication ministry was mandatory for issuing curfew passes to private media organizations. When contacted Secretary at the Home Ministry, Balkrishna Prasai said, “This is the matter related to communications.”

All attempts to contact Home Minister Thapa were in vain. The Himalayan Times daily too has said that it was denied the curfew passes. The daily further reported that Nepal Samachar Patra , a private daily news paper known for its pro-government, was provided with the curfew pass.

Posted on: 2006-04-08 20:00:34 (Server Time)