Nepal Republic Media; Kathmandu Nepal;APRIL 11,2011,
Nepal issued its first separate law for Right to Information (RTI) in July 2007, which has been considered as the most powerful right of the people of the country. But, despite the necessity and expected speed, it has not been implemented properly. Social organizations, organizations related to people’s rights and empowerment, organizations against corruption and citizens should have been involved for the implementation of RTI Act. Nepali Press, which continuously fought for 18 years to get this Act, has not succeeded in utililizing this Act in its research and investigative reporting. It would be a great contribution for the country for establishing culture of information, if Nepali media could use this Act to compel our bureaucracy, which still hides unfavorable informations, to give out information.
Why has the RTI not been successful in Nepal? Why do the Nepali citizens and Press not use this law? The First Convention on Right to Information which was held in Kathmandu on March 28-29 tried to find the answers to these questions. Everyone who participated in this convention was mostly concerned about why this Act, which is considered as the most powerful tool in the world for transparency, good governance and people´s empowerment, was not implemented in Nepal even though it was introduced three years ago. The participants of South Asian countries shared their experiences in this convention and suggested the Nepali Press to create public awareness for the implementation of this law. They even shared the experiences how their mass media played a vital role in their countries after the law was introduced.
Sailesh Gandhi, central information commissioner of India said that the Indian media had played significant role in the implementation of this Act in his country. Chief Information Commissioner of Bangladesh, Mohammad Zamir emphasized on the role of Nepali community radios to reach the public as they have been the successful examples. RTI Act was introduced in India only towards the end of 2005 and since then it has made huge contributions in making the bureaucracy and political parties transparent and responsible. Within the period of 5 years, more than 4 millions of applications were drafted by people and organizations appealing for information.
For example, Parivartan, an NGO, in India demanded for detailed information concerning one of the government’s programs which provided food aid to people. As per the program those with Ration Card were eligible to get subsidy in the price of food provided by Government. But when they went to the subsidized rate shops, they were told that the subsidy was finished, compelling them to pay full amount of the goods. On realizing this, Parivartan asked the Delhi Government to provide details of this program which later revealed that eighty percent of subsidized food was being sold at the market price.
Though a number of such problems are still in existence in India, this Act has helped to reveal a lot of cases with regard to corruption in different sectors. Bihar Government has recently launched a program ‘Jankari’, which allows people to collect required information through the telephone. Likewise, in Bangladesh where Act was just enforced last year, there are 29 thousand complaints related to RTI registered already. According to Zamir, people have demanded the information regarding education, medicine, resource management and employment. But, unfortunately the condition of Nepal in this context is still deplorable. A paper presented by the Nepal Government in the Convention showed that only 3 percent of the total public agencies have appointed information officers.
As per the Act, all the concerned public agencies were mandatorily required to appoint information officer. Vinaya Kumar Kasajoo, Chief Information Commissioner, in his paper said that the National Information Commission has been facing the difficulties due to limited manpower and resources. The Commission is permitted by law to recruit clerks when needed and it can also appoint volunteers when there is a need of, outside Kathmandu Valley, so that the people can exercise their right by registering such complaint cases regarding lack of information. As per the Act, despite the absence of a demand for information each concerned authority should make the information available according to Proactive Disclosure Provision. But this has not been done in Nepal yet.
Keeping the current scenario in mind, Nepal needs a Nodal Agency under Nepal Government which can supervise these activities. Delhi Government has formed a Nodal Agency under Prime Minister Office which is monitored by a State Minister so that the government can supervise and observe the activities related to the RTI Act. Though we have realized the necessity of such an agency in Nepal, the government does not seem serious about it. We have to accept the bitter fact that we do not have records of any complaints and demands for information even though the Act has been active for the past three years and a half except 65 appellate cases filed in National Information Commission. No media in Nepal has demanded for information in the process of news collection except few exceptional cases, which too have not done enough to create awareness in people to exercise RTI.
NDTV, an Indian television channel, telecasts a special program related to RTI and information seeking. Similarly, The Indian Express, a daily newspaper has devised a separate column, whereas The Times of India publishes successful stories in this regard and encourages people for RTI. Many Indian television channels themselves demand for information relating to the public concerns using the RTI Act of India and regularly put them on air.
But, in Nepal the situation is completely different, almost non-existent so to say. In case, a reporter does not get information through an oral request, if s/he uses this Act s/he can definitely bring to light many cases concerning corruption publicly. On one hand this promotes investigative reporting and on the other, it encourages people to demand for information. Such reporting will compel public authorities who are freezing the public information to publish those informations once in every three months, as per the rules of the Act. If the Nepali media is able to do this, it will be a colossal achievement for the establishment of transparency among the public bodies of the country. However, it should be kept in mind that the RTI is not just for the Press to exercise. It is a fundamental right of every citizen of the country. It would be beneficial for the Press as well as the whole nation if the Nepali Press, which fought for more than a decade and half to pass this Act, showed more activeness and energy to practice it in their profession which has a direct impact on the mass.
Writer is a senior editor in RSS and an RTI researcher:
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