Kathmandu, July 18, 2007

The Parliament today unanimously passed the Right to Information Bill, 2006 thus meeting the long-standing demands for a law ensuring that a Nepali citizen seeking any information from government bodies can have it after following a due process of law.

Now anyone seeking any information from the government offices is eligible to get it 15 days after submitting an application. “This has put an end to the government’s mysterious way of working” ,” Minister for Information and Communication Krishna Bahadur Mahara told Parliament today.

Mahara, who is also the government spokesperson, emphasised that this would ensure transparency in all the government bodies. MP Bal Bahadur Rai today tabled the bill in parliament.

The bill was passed with a view to making the government’s acts transparent in keeping with a democratic system. Most of the Parliamentarians today termed this as “great achievement”. Now departmental action will be taken against any official, who sits on information even after it is sought; he or she may even be fined up to Rs 25, 000.

The new law, which will go into force once the Speaker Subash Chandra Nemwang authenticates it in due course, however, does not allow disseminating information that poses threat to the sovereignty and integrity of the country, national security, public security, or any information that might pose a threat to international relations.

It also states that it is not necessary to provide information to anyone if such information might affect the economy.

JTMM-J butchers VDC secy

Cadres of the Janatantrik Tarai Mukti Morcha (Jwala Singh) today slit the throat of Ramhari Pokhrel, the secretary of Targena Govindpur VDC in Siraha, whom they had abducted along with two persons — a civilian and one schoolteacher on Sunday evening.

Biratnagar-1 native Pokhrel was butchered with a khukuri at 4 am at Jhitki in Bastipur VDC, said JTMM-J sources. Police recovered his body from the bank of Surrey Khola, 500 metres from Khapangitole in Targena Govindpur-4.

JTMM-J district in-charge Toofan Singh Bidrohi said Pokhrel was killed by a JTMM-J squad led by platoon commander Rajendra Singh for not paying tax to the “Tarai Government”. JTMM-J cadres had also accused local school headmaster Govind Kumar Karki, a resident of Lahan-5, and a civilian Bed Prakash Sapkota of Lahan-6 of not paying tax to the “Tarai Government” and abducted them from near Mutni Khola of Targena Govindpur VDC.

The two are still in JTMM-J custody.

Meanwhile, the District Development Committee Workers’ Union, VDC Secretaries’ Rights Protection Committee, INSEC and human rights organsations of Siraha, in a joint statement, condemned the murder and called for action against the JTMM-J.