KATHMANDU, Nov 21: Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal has said that good-governance and development could be achieved and democracy consolidated only when the right to information is effectively enforced.
Receiving a 10-point recommendation submitted by the National Information Commission (NIC) at a program organized at his office in Singha Durbar today, PM Dahal opined that good-governance promotes transparency and strengthens democracy.
"During the reign of the kings the general understanding was that the more you concealed the information the stronger you became. Now, the opposite is true, i.e. the more transparency the more is the good-governance," he said.
Noting that the country has moved ahead through a big political change, the Prime Minister expressed his happiness over the commission showing its interest and concern on the effective implementation of the right to information.
He added that the country's constitution and laws have made provisions ensuring the right to information.
Chief Secretary of the government Dr Somlal Subedi said he was not aware that the commission has been evaluating the ministries and called on the ministries to improve their evaluation standards in the coming days.
He stated that the ministries were carrying out their works in a transparent manner and that the information officers have been assigned at different ministries.
Chief Commissioner of the NIC, Krishnahari Banskota shared that former secretaries gad evaluated 31 different ministries whether or not the RTI was being implemented in these ministries and it was found that all the ministries had assigned the information officers.
He stressed that the effective implementation of the RTI helped in curbing corruption and establishing the rule of law.
Banskota, however, said that the ministries were found wanting in the area of making public the works they have carried out every three months, conducting public hearings and hearing into the public complaints regarding the RTI.
On the occasion, the Prime Minister released the RTI Implementation Evaluation Report, 2016. Chief Commissioner Banskota handed over a 10-point recommendation letter to the Prime Minister. RSS
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