With the promulgation of the Constitution of Nepal, 2072 BS, and the country formally entering the federal democratic republican system, a epochal change began in our governance system. Standing on the foundation of that constitutional essence and change, the Gandaki Provincial Government has entered its ninth year today, completing eight years since its establishment. As we celebrate the eighth establishment day of the provincial government, we are not just celebrating an anniversary - we are also standing at an important and decisive juncture in the grand campaign of implementing federalism, ensuring good governance, and providing services to citizens at their doorsteps.

 Federalism was not just a re-demarcation of political structure or geography for Nepal, it was also a decentralization of the centralized mentality of years and a real localization of civil rights. Giving meaning to Kathmandu's slogan of 'Singha Durbar in the village', the Gandaki Provincial Government established the Office of the Press Registrar for the regulation, management and promotion of the media sector. 

In the past, Nepal's media sector was completely centralized. Journalists living in mofussils were forced to go to the Information and Broadcasting Department in Kathmandu or the District Administration Office, which has limited powers, for registration, renewal of media outlets, obtaining press representative certificates, or even for general regulatory work. This cumbersome process was discouraging small-investment self-employed media. To end this forced situation and exercise the sole power granted to the province by the constitution, the Gandaki Provincial Assembly enacted the Gandaki Provincial Mass Media Act, 2080. In accordance with Section 6 of the same Act, the provincial government appointed a Press Registrar and formally established the office in 2081 BS.

This office is both the guardian and regulatory body of the media in the province. Section 9 of the Act has entrusted the Press Registrar with extensive powers and responsibilities. The entire responsibility of registering, renewing, archiving, recommending classification of FM radio, television, online and newspapers operating within the province, managing public welfare advertisements, protecting the rights and interests of working journalists and monitoring the media sector has now come under the province. The Gandaki Province Mass Media Regulations, 2082 BS, which were issued to make it more systematic and functional, has provided further clarity. We are now working day and night to realize the vision of clean, dignified, professional and accountable journalism by fully implementing the Act and Regulations.

We were speeding up the service delivery by establishing the office. However, during the Gen-G movement on Bhadra 23 and 24, 2082, our physical infrastructure, years of records, documents, computers, furniture and technology were burnt to ashes in the flames. We rose from that pile of ashes like the phoenix bird of mythology. Before the passion of the movement could die down, and the smell of the smoke from the burnt office did not disappear, we made alternative arrangements and resumed service delivery. 

Budget, Policy and Program 
For the current fiscal year 2082/083, the Office of the Press Registrar has formulated and implemented an annual development program worth 39 million rupees. Our budget and policy are not limited to traditional administrative expenses and salaries, it focuses on the overall development, modernization and strengthening of the media sector in Gandaki Province.

Welfare Fund, Writing Fellowship and AI
With the belief that the state should become the guardian of journalists when they meet with an accident, are seriously ill or in crisis, we have allocated a budget of Rs. 1.5 million for the establishment of a ‘Journalist Welfare Fund’. In addition, appreciating the experience and contribution of senior journalists who have spent their fertile time in journalism, we have allocated Rs. 5 million to launch the Senior Journalist Honors and Experience Documentation Program, which will guide the new generation.

To encourage investigative journalism, we have launched a Journalist Writing Fellowship Program of Rs. 1.5 million. This will provide financial support to journalists who go beyond hasty journalism and go deep into the subject and write news, and will support the production of quality content.

We are conducting training on media literacy, new media and AI with an allocation of Rs. 1.5 million. We are organizing the Gandaki Media Summit with a budget of Rs. 1 million to chart the current state, challenges and future roadmap of the media sector in Gandaki.

Work is underway to create and distribute public welfare and public awareness materials by allocating Rs 4 million to inform the people about government services, facilities and rights. In this year's budget, the work has reached the final stage by allocating budget for the construction of media registration database software, card generator software and pro-website. 

Now, the compulsion to go to Pokhara to obtain media registration, renewal or press representative certificate from any corner of Gandaki Province is coming to an end. We are making arrangements to apply from home, make digital payments and receive digital copies through the online system. We have prepared the basis for data-based policy making by digitizing the media records. 

The fight against misleading information
Today's main challenge is misinformation and disinformation. Viral competition and clickbait journalism have raised serious questions even about the credibility of mainstream media. To overcome this, we have extensively intensified the media literacy campaign and interaction with stakeholders. We not only regulate, we also spread awareness. 

Another challenge is the financial sustainability of small investment and self-employed media. For this, we have emphasized on a proportional advertising system and fair, transparent and scientific distribution of public welfare advertisements so that small media can also survive.

The acts and regulations we have made do not aim to control the press, but to make it systematic and dignified. Bringing unregistered media into the mainstream, ensuring minimum wages and service facilities for working journalists, and ensuring full compliance with the journalist code of conduct are my first priorities.

Nowadays, while some are making comments that federalism has become expensive and burdensome, the Office of the Press Registrar has confirmed through its work and services that federalism is a close government. Yesterday, to obtain or renew an FM radio frequency or register a newspaper, one had to go to Singha Durbar in Kathmandu, file for months, and suffer. Today, the Gandaki Provincial Government is implementing all these works quickly, efficiently and easily from the provincial capital Pokhara by making its own laws and establishing structures.

In the coming days, we will complete the Digital Gandaki campaign. Our vision is to make Gandaki Province a media hub and a digitally literate province. Within the coming fiscal year, the goal is to make all office services paperless and develop a system where service recipients can receive services without coming to the office. Media houses that have not fully implemented the Working Journalists Act and do not pay minimum wages to journalists will be facilitated. The goal is also to bring the issues of women, Dalits, indigenous people, people with disabilities and minority communities to the mainstream media and increase their participation.