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Newsprint hold-up: Leaders vow to do the needful
KATHMANDU, JUN 24 -
Ministers and senior leaders of political parties on Thursday visited the office of Kantipur Publications and vowed to take initiatives to resolve the issue of India holding 1,000 metric tonnes of newsprint in Kolkata port.
The newsprint, imported by Kantipur Publications, is being held at the port for the past 28 days.
Minister for Information and Communications Shankar Pokharel, CPN-UML leader Pradeep Gyawali, Senior Nepali Congress leader Sher Bahadur Deuba and another NC leader Ram Sharan Mahat visited Kantipur Publications and urged the government to resolve the issue at the earliest.
“Investigations should not be delayed as it will hamper the printing of the leading newspapers. The government has already directed the Consular General in Kolkata to understand the situation and make attempts to release the shipment,” Pokharel said.
The Publications has said the publication of The Kathmandu Post and Kantipur dailies, Nepal magazine and Saptahik weekly will be hit if the shipment is not released soon.
Deuba said discussions with the government must be held before proceeding further on the issue.
“I will take up the issue with the prime minister; don’t lose hope, the printing of the newspapers will not be stopped,” the former Prime Minister told Kantipur officials.
Former Finance Minister Mahat said India has no right to hold newsprint. “India has not done good by holding the newsprint. The government must resolve the issue immediately,” he said.
UML leader Gyawali said: “This is a transit treaty-related issue and not only an issue related with Kantipur Publications. Therefore, it is the government’s responsibility to sort out the issue.” He added that the holding of the newsprint for weeks is against the sprit of press freedom.
India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) has been holding the newsprint imported from Canada and South Korea, saying the 39 containers carrying the newsprint need to be “investigated.”
NHRC concerned
KATHMANDU: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has expressed its serious concern over the holding of newsprint of Kantipur Publications by Indian authorities at Kolkata.
In a statement issued after NHRC officials visited Kantipur Publications on Thursday, the national rights body said the Indian side’s decision to hold the imported printing materials is the violation of people’s right to information.
“All the publications of Kantipur Publications are in jeopardy owing to the hold-up of newsprint. It is the violation of people’s rights to information,” read the statement. The Commission has asked the government to make public its clarification on the matter. “The government should clarify the cause behind the newsprint hold-up,” said the NHRC.
The Commission has also asked the international authority concerned to respect the prevailing international laws. “The international community should play a creative role to implement the existing laws in such a situation and the government should take prompt measures to resolve the issue,” added the release.
Posted on: 2010-06-25 07:49
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