Kohima, June 30 (MExN): The Kohima Press Club (KPC) held a general body meeting on June 30 at the NSF conference hall, Kohima. Led by vice president-cum-acting president Atul Sarma, the house paid tribute to late Xavier Rutsa, KPC president who passed away on June 11. Rutsa was remembered for his extensive contribution to the press fraternity, particularly of Kohima, informed a press release from KPC general secretary, Alice Yhoshü. 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. Alice Yhoshü announced in the meeting that with the sudden demise of Rutsa, vice president Atul Sarma has assumed additional charge of the office of the president as per the KPC constitution. As the tenure of the current Executive Council ends in less than one year, the constitution does not provide for a by-election, therefore the vice-president will continue to hold the additional charge till the completion of tenure in May 2019, she informed. The annual audit report of the club (June 2017-June 2018) was also presented and approved by the house at the meeting. Treasurer Ng. Solomon Sha informed that a total of 54 members registered with the KPC during the club’s recent membership drive. The membership, he said, will be categorised into regular, associate and well wishers. KPC acknowledges NSF KPC has meanwhile expressed gratitude to the Naga Students’ Federation (NSF) for allotting a room to the club at the federation’s office in Naga Club building to be used as its temporary office. The KPC’s office which was located at 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, the KPC press release said.
