Development committee directs govt to implement RTI

Kathmandu, March 9: The meeting of the Development Committee under the Legislature-Parliament today directed governmental offices to implement the Right to Information (RTI) Act effectively. The meeting was held in the presence of Ministry secretaries, spokespersons and officials of different constitutional bodies and offices.

Committee chair Rabindra Adhikari directed the concerned bodies to update and provide the relevant information to institutionalize democratic system and ensure the people's right to get information.



Similarly, the committee has directed the bodies concerned to bring amendment proposals in the Act if they were facing hindrances while implementing the RTI Act.

The committee has further directed to manage information officers at all the offices. While taking part in the meeting, lawmakers, Ram Kumar Bhattarai and Jeevan Bahadur Shahi said that the offices should easily provide information to the public as per the provision of the RTI Act.

Chief Secretary Leelamani Poudyal urged the concerned bodies not to hold the information stating that the effective implementation of RTI makes good governance effective. The RTI Act was endorsed in 2064 BS aiming to make the democratic system stronger, transparent and ensuring the public access to information.

National Information Commission (NIC) chief commissioner Krishna Hari Banskota said that the commission now has managed to update and publish information every three months on the website of all the Ministries.

Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Communications Sunil Bahadur Malla pointed out the need of managing budget to develop a mechanism for disseminating information and deputing information officers.

Similarly, assistant registrar at the Supreme Court (SC) Bipul Neupane said that the SC has provided the information, annual reports and important decisions through its website.

Officiating Secretary at the Commission for Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Chiranjibi Khanal, said that all kinds of information could not be provided.

Secretary at the Legislature-Parliament Secretariat Thakur Prasad Baral said that every activity would be transparent if each meeting of the Parliament was opened for live broadcasting.

He further added that some nongovernmental organisations were asking for unnecessary information like a new date for promulgating a new constitution and such trend should not be privileged in the name of RTI. RSS

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