KATHMANDU: The National Information Commission (NIC) has presented its annual report for the fiscal year 2020/21 to Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba Tuesday.

The report incorporating NIC’s major works and activities has been submitted to the PM for tabling it in the Parliament in accordance with Clause 25 (1) of the Right to Information Act, 2007.

On the occasion, PM Deuba said that the establishment of NIC has helped in maintaining good governance and stressed its capacity enhancement and becoming sensitive to information of serious nature that are related to national security.

NIC Chief Information Commissioner Mahendra Man Gurung, handing over the report to the PM, said that the Commission was committed to implementing the constitutionally-provided important fundamental right – the right to information. He said the annual report includes the works and activities carried out by NIC in the fiscal year 2020/21, highlighting the Commission’s suggestions as well.

NIC secretary Bhagirath Pandeya said the Commission’s annual report is presented to the Prime Minister as per the provision of the Right to Information Act. Commissioners Kamala Oli Thapa and Ratna Prasad Mainali and Chief Secretary Shanker Das Bairagi among other officials were present on the occasion.

The report states that 753 applications were filed with NIC during that period citing that the information was not provided by public bodies as per Clause 10 of the Right to Information Act. It is said 73 percent of these applications were related to the local levels while 7 percent were related to education, health, and sports, 4 percent related to the economic sector, and 4 percent were related to the law, justice, and administration.

The report states that the Commission cleared 98.7 percent of these applications.

NIC conducted district-level interaction program on the right to information in six districts namely, Kailali, Sindhupalchok, Parsa, Kanchanpur, Darchula and Doti, for the promotion and exercise of the right to information. Similar interactions were also held at five local levels, namely, Shankharapur Municipality Kathmandu, Namobuddha Municipality Kavre, Thankre Rural Municipality Dhading, Nijgadh Municipality Bara and Sunapati Rural Municipality Ramechhap.

NIC also provided training on various aspects of the right to information to 695 people including the chiefs and information officers of public bodies, members of the civil society, journalists, and the general public during this period.