*RTI Regulation Amendment Widens Scope of Access Information in Nepal*
Freedom Forum welcomes the recent substantive reforms the
Government of Nepal made in the Right to Information (RTI)
Regulations-2009. We are delighted to share that the second amendment to
the Regulation has categorically made 13 achievements, having huge
potentials to burgeon the scope of access to information in Nepal.
'The Council of Ministers of Nepal has passed the RTI
Regulation (Second Amendment)-2070, which is a landmark achievement in the
expansion of RTI practice and movement in Nepal', said Freedom Forum
Chairperson Taranath Dahal, who was also a member of the taskforce the NIC
formed to recommend the areas of amendment to the regulation.
In a bid to make the information request application and appeal
process wide and practical, the Regulation has legally defined complaint
and application process when neither the information nor the reason to
provide information is provided to the requester. It has facilitated the
process to directly file application to the National Information Commission
(NIC) when information is not received from public agencies even after the
first appeal.
Other key achievements projected by the amendment include
bringing foreign aid, loan, grants and technical assistance received by any
public agencies and their programme and progress reports to the domain of
proactive disclosure, making classification of information more transparent
and pragmatic and paving the way for requesting information through oral
request.
The Regulation has enshrined progressive provisions in
connection with record keeping and dissemination management, haring process
over complaint and appeal, authority delegation to Chief District Officer
to push the implementation of NIC orders at local level, designating
information officer to senior ranking official and setting up Nodal Agency
based on Cabinet decision.
Dahal further said, 'The move has indicated a landmark
achievement to widen the scope and practice of RTI in a multidimensional
manner'.
It is worth-mentioning that the overhauling amendment to the
RTI Regulation is an outcome of constant engagement, practice and advocacy
of Freedom Forum - a leading civil society organization in the area of
right to information in Nepal.
For Further Information,
Krishna Sapkota
Executive Director
Freedom Forum
Thapathali, Kathmandu
www.freedomforum.org.np
