Kathmandu, July 14

The National Information Commission today said it had issued a directive to the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation to provide information-seekers a copy of the report submitted by a technical committee formed to probe the MoCTCA’s move to procure China manufactured airplanes and make recommendations on the issue.

The committee was mandated to ascertain whether the procurement and grant agreements between Nepal and China for bringing home China-manufactured airplanes were relevant in the present context.

Organising a press meet at its Anamnagar-based office in the presence of Chief Information Commissioner Krishnahari Baskota , NIC spokesperson Yashoda Timsina said the MoCTCA had been directed to provide a copy of the report to information-seekers on demand. The press meet was organised to make public NIC’s progress report.

She also said that the NIC had asked the office of District Development Committee, Makwanpur to provide information-seekers a copy of the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out by it with respect to the impact of excavation of sand, stones and other river products on the environment.

“The NIC has issued as many as 1,537 directives to the concerned agencies in response to complaints registered with it in the past one-and-a-half years,” said Timsina.

According to the her, NIC and Governance Facility, Nepal have entered into second phase of partnership for project SUCHANA-II (SUCHANA: Support to Championing National Capacity for Right to Information in Nepal) for the next three years under which NIC will receive an assistance of approximately Rs 80 million to support the public bodies to meet citizens’ demand for information.

Governance Facility is an initiative of the embassies of Denmark and Switzerland, and United Kingdom’s Department for International Development launched in agreement with the Government of Nepal.

As per the NIC directive, the district administration offices are required disclose information on its activities every three months, designate an information officer and maintain records of information demand and dissemination.