Speaking on the occasion, President Dr. Yadav said press freedom is the strong foundation of democracy and all should enjoy the right to be informed without any obstruction.[break]
Stressing the need for making public institutions accountable to people by increasing public´s access to information, he said healthy public opinion, which is the source of state power, can be formed through utmost utilization of information and by increasing access and establishing people´s right to information.
RTI is essential to maintain transparency and good governance and end corruption by ensuring quality services that state provides to people and also by effectively providing information to people, he said. If RTI Act is not implemented, the expected result cannot be achieved, he said.
Similarly, speaking at the function, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara said people should have access to information of all state bodies if people were to make the real owners of the state in practice.
Saying that the state where people are made the real owners is a democratic state in a true sense, Deputy Prime Minister Mahara said the constitution of Nepal has guaranteed the right to seek information related to public concern.
The state side is mainly responsible for the implementation of the Right to Information Act, he said.
Chairman of Freedom Forum Taranath Dahal said since the right is information is the ´oxygen´ of democracy there is need to develop the culture of information, which is the main weapon to power people, in general people´s level.
Democracy can be strong only after ensuring people´s participation in decision making level by making easy access to information that public bodies provide to marginalized and poor people, he said.
In the two-day conference, more than 150 high-ranking officials, experts and advocates working in the field of right to information from all SAARC countries are taking part in the conference.
More than three dozen working papers on several topics such as the role of governments in implementing RTI, constitutional and legal provisions, and role of RTI in controlling corruption will be presented in the conference.
Dahal said the conference will also issue a national declaration to implement RTI Act
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