Executive Editor and Province and District Bureau Chief of the Rastriya Samachar Samiti Surya Chandra Basnet is to be conferred on Suryabhakta Patana Devi Memorial National Journalism Prize.

Chairman of Nepal Press Union Nawalparasi (Bardaghat Sustapurba) chapter Birendra Parajuli said that decision to prize Basnet and other journalists was taken on Thursday.

The prize carries a purse of Rs 25,000.

Basnet, who holds an MA in Mass Communication and Journalism, is serving the state-owned RSS for two and a half decades. Prior to this, Basnet served as the Chief Reporter and Board of Directors of RSS.

He started his journalistic career from Rastra Pukar Weekly.

Likewise, former Chairman of Nepal Press Union and Chairman of Nepal Television Samir Jung Shah, Ishwor Joshi of BBC Nepali Service and Dr Bhumiraj Chapagain are also named for the same prize, district secretary of Nepal Press Union Khagaraj Sapkota said.

Each one will be provided with Rs 25,000 in cash, it is stated.

The prize was established in memory of democracy fighter and Nepali Congress leader Surya Bhakta Adhikari and his wife Patana Devi Adhikari by their son and Mayor of Gaindakot Municipality Madan Bhakta Adhikari.

The prize would be offered on the occasion of 11th convention of the Nepal Press Union Nawalpur district on May 19.

Prior to this, former Chairman of Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) Kishor Nepal, RSS Chairman and former Chairman of FNJ Dharmendra Jha, Chairman of FNJ Bipul Pokharel and other personalities were prized.