Government comes with the concept of information route in budget

KATHMANDU, May 29: The government has planned to connect municipalities and rural municipalities of all districts through an information route within the next two years by the expansion of optical fibers in the national highway and roads linking the district headquarters.

The government Monday, unveiling the annual estimate of income and expenditure for the upcoming fiscal year 2017-18, announced such plan. Likewise, the government is to establish an information bank within the Department of Information. Such bank will also avail a digitalized copies of materials published from the government level and other information and decisions in an integrated form.

“Broadcasting of foreign organisations taking place in Nepal shall be made free from advertisements, and the information dissemination shall be made easier, expansion and operation of tele-centres and community information centers under the Ministry of Information and Communications shall take place through the local post offices in collaboration with the Nepal Telecommunications Authority to promote the use of information technology,” the budget speech states.

Likewise, the government is to come with the provision of the registration of international mobile equipment identification number to control the illegal trade (import) of mobile phone sets.

Similarly, legal and structural infrastructure shall be developed to reinstate the postal service as an independent body. Post offices shall be developed as means of paying drinking water and electricity bills and distributing social security allowance.

Training academy in each province to boost journalists’ capacity
The budget pledged to implement programs intended to increase the participation of women, dalits, indigenous nationalities, disabled and marginalized and backward castes and communities in mass media. “The government shall establish a training academy in every province for capacity building of journalists along with the effective implementation of working journalists,” read Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara in a budget speech at the Legislature-Parliament on Monday. RSS