The Lalitpur chapter of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) established a journalist welfare fund to support the health care for journalists and to start ‘Lalitpur Journalism Award’ scheme for those who practice institutionalised journalism and work for the welfare of working journalists in the country.

The chapter announced at a programme on Saturday that the establishment of the fund with an initial capital of Rs100,000 with an aim to make it Rs 1 million every year. “We have planned to start the fund using some amounts we get from foreign contributors, from the savings after organising some programmes, advertisements, or some timely individual financial aid we receive,” said Lekhnath Neupane, chairperson of the Lalitpur chapter of FNJ.

According to Neupane, the fund will have a fixed account and the interest accrued will be used for the treatment of ailing journalists. 

The programme also decided to start ‘Lalitpur Journalism Award’ for those journalists who contribute and work for the welfare of working journalists in Nepal. The award will have a purse of Rs15, 000 which will be given to a selected journalist marking the convention of the Lalitpur chapter every three years.

The prize money for the award will also be given out of the interest obtained from the journalist welfare fund. The fund is set to come into operation within this week.