Nepal Communist Party Co-chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that the bills introduced to regulate media and guthis (trusts) will be revised. 

“Considerations will be made while proceeding with the Media Council Bill with necessary amendments. Discussions are also being held regarding Guthi Bill. That should also be revised,” Dahal told reporters in Bharatpur Airport on Wednesday.

Responding to the query whether the government had made a mistake in introducing the bills, the NCP leader admitted that there were some shortcomings.

“It seems that enough preparations were not made before introducing these bills in Parliament. The government and the party are serious about the issue. We will work towards proceeding the bills in consensus,” Dahal said.

The government has tabled the Guthi Bill in Parliament which proposes transferring guthi land to private ownership and converting private guthis into public ones.

Guthis are centuries-old Newar social organisations that collect funds, hold cultural programmes and maintain traditions.

Several guthis (trusts) in Kathmandu Valley, heritage conservationists and locals have been protesting the bill.

The NCP government is also facing criticism for the controversial Media Council Bill. The bill, which will replace the existing Press Council Act, aims to create Media Council with more authority to impose hefty fines on journalists and give the government more say in the hiring and firing of the council members.

Responding to the controversy over the parliamentary committee direction to terminate the ongoing staff recruitment process, Dahal said that the issue would be solved soon after Prime Minister KP Oli has returned from Europe visit.