Citing that the Information Officer at the Youth and Small Entrepreneur Self-Employment Fund denied information, Dharmendra Jha (Freedom Forum member and journalist) and Sanjiv Ghimire (Coordinator at RTI Support Center, FF), on August 21, 201, asked Executive Chief of the Fund to provide the following information they sought:
 
a. About the total amount collected in the Self-Employment Fund by receiving from Nepal government, national and international organizations, any individual and cooperatives. Separate details about the amount the Fund received in different times.

b. How is this amount provided, to which banks, commercial firms and cooperatives, and on which dates with what interest rate. Copies of the agreements made with the commercial firms and institutions after providing the amount in the fiscal year 2011/012 and 2010/011.

c. Details about progress of the commercial firms and institutions after receiving money from the Fund. What about the amount provided to the institutions which did not invest anywhere? Did they returned that amount and on which date they returned? Detailed information about the amount returned to different dates.

d. Who are the unemployed youths or their groups to take loans from the banks of the Fund. Full information about them as their address, occupations, where is the investment area, interest rate, date they take loans from the banks of the Fund.

e. What is total reserve of the Fund? What about the deposits and in which banks with what interest rate? Detail information about which level of official in the Fund that decides about depositing in the banks.

f. Copies of the annual auditing reports from the inception till date.

In the application, they have demanded action as per the Article 23 (1 and 2). And if the Fund can't provide information, give reason why it can't be provided by abiding by Article 4.

In line with the RTI Act 2007, they had earlier sought the information with registration no 54 with the Information Officer of the Fund on July 29, 2012.

 

We are pleased to share the happiness that Chairman of the Freedom Forum, Taranath Dahal, has been felicitated with the Chijkumar Bishnu Kumari Shrestha National Journalism Award on August 12, 2012.

The Award was conferred on Dahal in recognition to his construction to democracy and freedom of expression through journalism.

President of the Nepali Congress, Sushil Koirala gave away the Award at a function at Narayangadh, Chitwan.

On the occasion, President Koriala lauded the role journalist Dahal played to uphold freedom of expression and right to information, fundamental tools to democratic system.

FF Chairman Dahal has worked extensively for the freedom of expression and democracy through journalism for two decades.

The Award was set up in memory of then Chairman of the Democracy Fighters' Association, Cheej Kumar Shrestha.


Krishna Sapkota
Executive Director &  Freedom Forum Family

 

After the Information Officer denied information sought earlier, RTI Support Center Coordinator at the Freedom Forum Sanjiv Ghimire knocked the door of the Kathmandu Metropolis again addressing Chief Executive Officer at the Metropolis Officer on August 8, 2012 as per the Sub Clause 1 and 2 of Clause 23 of the Right to Information Act.

Earlier, on July 17, 2012 Mr Ghimire sought the following information with Kathmandu Metropolis in line with Clause 3 of Right to Information (RTI) Act 2007:

a) Is there any rule, decision, directive or policy about parking in any public places or road side? If any, provide copy.

b) Which public places and roads in the Metropolis have been separated the place to impose parking fee (tax). Provide complete details including area of the places.

c) Among the parking areas, which company or individual is assigned to collect parking fee? Provide information about them, area of the parking places and any agreements or contract made in this regard.

d)  How much tax did Sub Metropolis raise from parking years during the fiscal years of 2008/09, 2009/010, 2010/011? Provide information of separate incomes from the parking areas.

e) Provide separate annual reports/data about what sorts of vehicles were parked and in which places during the fiscal years 2008/09, 2009/010, 2010/011.

The registration number of the application addressed to the Chief Executive Officer is 18.
 

Freedom Forum Chairman, Taranath Dahal, on August 7, 2012, has sought the following information with Nepal Telecom Authority (NTA) for the personal study as per clause 3 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act 2007:

a) Copies of license, certificates and terms of condition the NTA had with Spice Nepal Pvt Ltd and Nepal Satellite Telecom Pvt Ltd.

b) Detailed information about the shareholders of these companies, number of updated shares, and records of the buying and sales of the companies' shares in recent two years.

c) There was the news in media that there is cross holding of the only same investor (Telia, Sonera, Sweden) in these two telecommunications providing companies. What's the reality about this? What's the policy the regulatory body (NTA) adopted on cross holding? Provide information about this.

d) Copy of a report on merger, acquisition and cross holding while operating telecommunications service in Nepal if submitted by a task force coordinated by former government secretary Madhav Prasad Poudel. And if the report is not submitted, when is the taskforce submitting it? Provide information about this.

Seeking information with the NTA is a part of a campaign the Freedom Forum launched to make the public agencies transparent and accountable towards people.
 

In a bid to make the public agencies transparent and accountable to the public, Freedom Forum has continued seeking information with different government bodies as per the RTI Act.

Of late, Freedom Forum Chairman Taranath Dahal, on August 6, 2012 sought the following information with the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) as per clause 3 of the Right to Information (RTI) Act for the personal study:

a. Information about the detailed amount of revenue generated from 518 firms which were found evading revenue making fake VAT bills/invoices as per the report of a task force coordinated by Laxman Aryal two years back. Separate details of the amount collected as fine to the firms.

b. Names, addresses, proprietors or share holders of the 518 firms which were brought to book.

c. What are the crimes of the 518 firms? Information in details,

d. Who were the auditors of the 518 firms?
 

For the purpose of the personal study, Sanjiv Ghimire, Coordinator of the RTI Support Centre at Freedom Forum (FF) and FF's member and journalist Dharmendra Jha on July 29, 2012 demanded the following information with the Youth and Small Entrepreneur Self-Employment Fund in accordance with Clause 3 of the Right to Information Act:

a. About the total amount collected in the Self-Employment Fund by receiving from Nepal government, national and international organizations, any individual and cooperatives. Separate details about the amount the Fund received in different times.

b. How is this amount provided, to which banks, commercial firms and cooperatives, and on which dates with what interest rate. Copies of the agreements made with the commercial firms and institutions after providing the amount in the fiscal year 2011/012 and 2010/011.

c. Details about progress of the commercial firms and institutions after receiving money from the Fund. What about the amount provided to the institutions which did not invest anywhere? Did they returned that amount and on which date they returned? Detailed information about the amount returned to different dates.

d. Who are the unemployed youths or their groups to take loans from the banks of the Fund. Full information about them as their address, occupations, where is the investment area, interest rate, date they take loans from the banks of the Fund.

e. What is total reserve of the Fund? What about the deposits and in which banks with what interest rate? Detail information about which level of official in the Fund that decides about depositing in the banks.

f. Copies of the annual auditing reports from the inception till date.
 

First of its kind, a working journalist serving private media has become victorious in a battle for professional rights in Nepal.

Journalist Ram Prasad Dahal who was sacked illegally by Chairman of Utsarga Publications, Mahendra Sherchan from the Rajdhani daily as reporter in 2005 has finally won the legal battle he fought against Mr Sherchan.

Mr Dahal, who was demanding due remuneration and dignified reinstatement in the post in the daily as per the prevailing Labour Act and Working Journalist Act of Nepal since his ouster, was provided due remuneration by Publications Chairman Shercan at the Bagmati Regional Labour Office, Teku, on July 18, 2012 in the presence of Office Chief Nabin Kumar Pokhrel. With the Court mediation, the case was settled in an amicable atmosphere.

It is an example how an unyielding owner of media houses becomes bound to respect journalist's right to professional security thereby abiding by the existing laws.

'It is the first-ever and the biggest victory in the regime of media rights in Nepal, which will serve as a milestone to leverage the voice for better press freedom situation. The case is first of its kind in private media in Nepal', said Freedom Forum Chairperson Taranath Dahal.

Journalist Dahal fought untiringly for his rights running from the Supreme Court to Labour Court time and again.

Lately, the Bagmati Regional Labour Office, Teku, on July 16, 2012, had asked the Chairman of Utsarga Publications, Mahendra Sherchan to present himself before the Office and pay the amount to journalist Ram Prasad Dahal whom he sacked illegally in March 2005, or face the Labour Court decision of two months' jail and Rs 5,000 as fine.

Journalist Dahal was also asked to come to the Office with the claim of the money he is to get from Sherchan.

Earlier, on May 30, 2012, journalist Dahal was denied wage and restoration in the daily as per the Labour Court decision.

The Labour Court, Kathmandu, on April 12, 2012, had ordered Mahendra Sherchan, Chairman of Utsarga Publications Pvt Ltd. to provide the salary to journalist, Ram Prasad Dahal for sacking him from the Rajdhani national daily, restore him and inform the court about his restoration in the daily.

Even before these decisions, journalist Dahal had to run from one court to another for the same cause.
After the case settled finally in an amicable atmosphere on July 18, 2012, he shared happiness saying, "I achieved victory. Not only me but the entire Nepali media got justice, and rights as it will serve as a precedent in consolidating freedom of expression in general."

The owners of media houses have flouted the Working Journalist Act and failed to pay remuneration to journalists. It has affected directly the professionalism in journalists, the torch bearers of press freedom and right to information in the country.

It is noted that the President of International Federation of Journalists Jim Boumelha has been closely observing the case.

Freedom Forum is pleased to inform that it provided legal support to journalist Dahal.
 

For the personal study, Coordinator of RTI Support Center at Freedom Forum, Sanjiv Ghimire on July 19, 2012 sought the following information with the Lalitpur Sub Metropolis in line with Clause 3 of Right to Information (RTI) Act 2007:

a) Is there any rule, decision, directive or policy about parking in any public places or road side? If any, provide copy.

b) Which public places and roads in the Metro Polist have been separated the place to impose parking fee (tax). Provide complete details including area of the places.

c) Among the parking areas, which company or individual is assigned to collect parking fee? Provide information about them, area of the parking places and any agreements or contract made in this regard.

d)  How much tax did Sub Metropolis raise from parking years during the fiscal years of 2008/09, 2009/010, 2010/011? Provide information of separate incomes from the parking areas.

e) Provide separate annual reports/data about what sorts of vehicles were parked and in which places during the fiscal years 2008/09, 2009/010, 2010/011.

The registration no. of the application filed addressing information officer in the Sub Metropolis is 431.
 

For the personal study, Coordinator of RTI Support Center at Freedom Forum, Sanjiv Ghimire on July 17, 2012 sought the following information with Kathmandu Metropolis in line with Clause 3 of Right to Information (RTI) Act 2007:

a) Is there any rule, decision, directive or policy about parking in any public places or road side? If any, provide copy.

b) Which public places and roads in the Metropolis have been separated the place to impose parking fee (tax). Provide complete details including area of the places.

c) Among the parking areas, which company or individual is assigned to collect parking fee? Provide information about them, area of the parking places and any agreements or contract made in this regard.

d)  How much tax did Sub Metropolis raise from parking years during the fiscal years of 2008/09, 2009/010, 2010/011? Provide information of separate incomes from the parking areas.

e) Provide separate annual reports/data about what sorts of vehicles were parked and in which places during the fiscal years 2008/09, 2009/010, 2010/011.

The registration no. of the application filed addressing information officer in the Sub Metropolis is 10.