RSS presents ‘disaster reporting report’ to Minister Gurung

Kathmandu: Minister for Communications and Information Technology Prithvi Subba Gurung acknowledged the ‘important’ presence of the RSS in terms of dissemination of news during the recent disaster.

Minister Gurung said so while receiving the report on the collection and dissemination of news on monsoon-induced flood, landslide and inundation among others by the Rastriya Samachar Samiti (RSS) here on Monday.

The RSS’s comprehensive 325-page report covers various aspects of disaster-related news including disaster warnings, monsoon forecasts and warnings, rain conditions, rescue of the disaster survivors, relief material distributions, voices of the disaster survivors, loss of the properties and important decisions of the government for disaster response efforts.

The report containing disaster-related news disseminated from the RSS from September 27 to October 5 is divided into six sections. The report documents Nepali news based on field reporting, interviews, feature news and Op-ed, English news, photos and contents disseminated through visual news services.

The Minister, lauding the only state-run news agency’s continuous news coverage during the recent crisis, believed that it would be exemplary for others. It may be noted that the persistent rainfall on September 27, 28 and 29 caused a huge loss of lives and properties across the country.

Altogether 246 people lost their lives to disaster while 178 were injured. A total of 18 people are still reported missing according to the official statistics. He also praised that the RSS, which recently commenced its Nepali news service for 24 hours, has done a commendable job by disseminating news on disasters, post-disaster rescue and relief material distribution, field reporting as well as expert views.

The RSS launched a Nepali news service round-the-clock on September 2 this year. Stating that the RSS had attempted to closely document the tragic incidents and provide vital information to the public, the Minister claimed that the attraction towards RSS’s calibre to cater to the other media’s need for news was increasingly growing among them. Furthermore, Minister Gurung highlighted the incumbent’s goal to enhance the public’s access to information.

He remarked, ‘The RSS has transformed itself as per the changing time and is moving along the Ministry’s (wave) length. The public should know about the work done by the government. The RSS will be able to convey the vital information of the State to the public in the coming days as well.’

Present on the occasion were Ministry’s Secretary Radhika Aryal as well as Joint Secretaries Gajendra Thakur and Baburam Bhandari. The report was presented by RSS’s executive chairperson Dharmendra Jha-led team comprising GM Siddha Raj Rai, Board member Krishna Adhikari and Chief Administrator Shital Prasad Mahato.