RTI for participatory local democracy

Kathmandu, August 8: With the country implementing the new constitution and the federalism, the good governance and participatory democracy at local level have been the priority issues of late.

In this regard, the significance of right to information (RTI) for transparency and good governance has been hailed at a program in the capital city today. The speakers stressed that the local governments can institutionalize democracy by promoting the culture of information seeking and sharing.

During a program organized by the National Information Commission for the people’s representatives and the chief information officers from Province 3, the speakers reiterated that the RTI is the oxygen of democracy, so its use needs augmentation.

Inaugurating the programme, Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration, Lalbabu Pandit, said the public agencies should promote disclosure of information for maintaining transparency.”All concerned bodies need to be aware of the law and provide information to the seekers with due process. If not done so, the negative news gets the quick promotion while the positive gets hidden.”

Similarly, Chief Information Commissioner Krishna Hari Baskota requested the participants to link information to the country’s development and prosperity. As information is the source of power, it can be utilized for the prosperity, he added.

Information Commissioners Kiran Kumar Pokhrel and Yeshoda Timsina made presentations on Role of RTI and NIC for local democracy and RTI and RTI officers respectively.

The Commissioners viewed that when the information is shared in a transparent manner, it promotes the participatory and accountable government at local levels. RSS