Dimapur, June 30 (EMN): Vice president of Kohima Press Club (KPC), Atul Sarma, has assumed additional charge of acting president following the demise of its president Xavier Rutsa on June 11.
This was announced by the club general secretary Alice Yhoshü during its general body meeting on June 30 at the NSF conference hall. She informed that as the tenure of the current executive council is less than one year, the constitution does not provide for a by-election. She, therefore, said that the vice president would continue to hold the additional charge till the completion of tenure in May 2019.
The house led by its vice president cum acting president, Atul Sarma, paid tribute to Xavier Rutsa, KPC president, who passed away on June 11 last. Rutsa was remembered for his extensive contribution to the press fraternity, particularly that of Kohima. He was a founding member of the KPC as well as a member of the drafting committee of the KPC constitution in 2001. Rutsa, who wrote for Nagaland Post, Eastern Panorama and the Times of India, had also served as KPC treasurer for two terms and as president for two consecutive terms. He passed away while serving as the president of the press club.
The club general secretary Alice Yhoshü has, in a press release, stated that annual audit report of the club (June 2017-June 2018) was also presented and approved by the house during the meeting.
Treasurer Ng. Solomon Sha informed the house that a total of 54 members have registered with the KPC during the club’s recent membership drive. The membership, he said, would be categorised into regular, associate and well wishers.
Meanwhile, the Kohima Press Club has expressesed gratitude to the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) for allotting a room to the press club at the federation’s office in Naga Club building to be used as its temporary office till the time the KPC relocates to a new office.
The KPC’s office, which was located in the Old Secretariat Complex, Kohima, was burned down during the February 2017 ULB issue and the club has not been able to relocate to a new office building so far. KPC has acknowledged the generous gesture of the NSF, which was timely and an urgent need of the club.