KATHMANDU, Feb 1: The National Information Commission (NIC) presented its annual report for the fiscal year 2020/21 to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba on Tuesday. The report incorporating the major works and activities of the NIC was submitted to the PM for tabling it in the Legislature Parliament in accordance with Section 25 (1) of the Right to Information Act, 2064 BS.

On the occasion, PM Deuba said that the establishment of the NIC has helped in maintaining good governance and stressed its capacity enhancement and becoming sensitive to information of serious nature that are related to national security.

NIC Chief Information Commissioner Mahendra Man Gurung, handing over the report to the PM, said that the Commission was committed to implementing the constitutionally-provided important fundamental right – the right to information. He said the annual report includes the works and activities carried out by NIC in the fiscal year 2020/21, highlighting the Commission's suggestions as well.

NIC Secretary Bhagirath Pandeya said the Commission's annual report was presented to the Prime Minister as per the provision of the Right to Information Act.

Commissioners Kamala Oli Thapa and Ratna Prasad Mainali and Chief Secretary of the Government of Nepal Shanker Das Bairagi, among other officials, were present on the occasion.

The report states that 753 applications were filed at the NIC during that period citing that the information was not provided by public bodies as per Section 10 of the Right to Information Act. It is said 73 percent of these applications were related to the local governments while seven percent were related to education, health and sports, four percent related to the economic sector and another four percent were related to the law, justice and administration.

The report states that the Commission cleared 98.7 percent of these applications. The Commission conducted district-level interaction programs on the right to information in six districts namely, Kailali, Sindhupalchok, Parsa, Kanchanpur, Darchula and Doti, for the promotion and exercise of the right to information.

Similar interactions were also held at five local units, namely, Shankharapur Municipality Kathmandu, Namobuddha Municipality Kavre, Thankre Rural Municipality Dhading, Nijgadh Municipality Bara and Sunapati Rural Municipality Ramechhap.

NIC also provided training on various aspects of the right to information to 695 people including the chiefs and information officers of public bodies, members of the civil society, journalists and the general public during this period.

 
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