Two journalists of Kantipur Television Network (KTV), a private television have resigned after the controversy of taking taxpayers money from the royal government to disseminate news in its favour.

A statement issued by the KTV said that Tirtha Koirala and Arjun Khadka, whose names were included in the list, tendered their resignations effective from Monday.

Expressing serious concern over the reports of inclusion of its two staffers in a list of journalists allegedly receiving money from the royal government, the KTV said the organization and its journalists, who have stood for press freedom and professional journalism have no connection with the report.

Meanwhile, refuting the report, Khadka of KTV, Ishwor Khanal of The Himalayan Times and Hari Prasad Mandal, president of Mahhotari chapter of Federation of Nepalese Journalists (FNJ) have urged the concerned authority and FNJ to investigate the case.

Earlier, Babita Basnet of Ghatana Ra Bichar Weekly refuted reports that she received money from the royal government.

According to the Ministry of Information and Communications (MoIC), some 84 journalists and media organisations had received taxpayers’ money from the royal government fund in the name of “dissemination of peace-related information” from their respective media.