Himalayan
Times: Kathmandu: Saturday, August 19,
2017.
The campaigners of the Right to Information (RTI)
have simultaneously demanded information on activities and organisational
frameworks in the 744 local units spread across the country.
Coinciding with the National Information Rights
Day, the Freedom Forum which has been campaigning for freedom and RTI will be
spearheading the campaign on Thursday and Friday to seek information from all 744 local units.
The Freedom
Forum Executive Chief Taranath Dahal; Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ)
former President and Forum’s General Secretary Dharmendra Jha; senior Prof Hari
Binod Adhikari; advocate Ram Maya Lamichane; social worker and Forum’s
Treasurer Kedar Dahal; journalist Krishna Sapkota and RTI campaigner Kumar
Chaulagain have filed a postal application demanding verified copy of the
information and details as per Article 27 of the Nepal’s Constitution 2072, and
Section 3 and Section 7(1) of Right to Information Act, 2064.
According to
the Forum’s Executive Chief Dahal, the information has been sought so as to
facilitate the transparency and accountability of the local government.
Forum’s
General Secretary Jha said the information was sought with the executive
council offices of the local levels across the country with the hope of
creating an environment of trust with the local government and to seek
constructive participation of the civilians.
Journalist
Sapkota underlined that information has a significant tool in promoting good
governance and added that the demand for information was made for upholding
national and international exercises on RTI, good governance, development, and
mindful of the importance of RTI in Nepal.
He also noted
that the Act stipulates the presence of an information official in each of the
local units.
Sapkota
elaborated further that demands were made for information on whether an
information official has been appointed; whether the council offices will
disclose information on 20 different topics in every three months as required
by the RTI Act, 2064; whether a public hearing will take place as for Good Governance
Act, 2064 and to know if a directive, policy or by laws have been formulated
for information management.
The RTI
campaigners have also demanded information if there has been arrangement for
citizens’ charter at the concerned offices and whether websites have been
developed. It has sought property details of elected officials and staffers,
allocation of budget on construction, import and service oriented adverts and
policies formulated on advertisement.
The demands
include information on placement of hoarding boards for transparency of plans
and laws, and policy-based structure on securing people’s participation in
concerned council offices’ activities.
The
application of the demand for information has also been notified to the
National Information Commission (NIC).
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