Anirudra Neupane
Openness has no option in democracy. Democratic government is synonymous to open government whose strength depends upon how transparently it works. Degree of public support for government is determined by the way it takes people into confidence. This requires latter's engagement in the decision making process which is possible only through their easy access to public information.
Successful
We are taking Bihar as an example of change and Nitish Kumar as the Ideal politician driving poor Bihar to the direction of prosperity. Bihar government has been successful in bringing down the corruption and improving transparency and accountability. Nitish-led government has invested much to promote RTI throughout the state to promote good governance. Recently, Bihar government hosted an international conference on RTI in Patna. Nitish not only provided central information commission with 60 percent of budget required for conducting convention but also provided cash award to eleven best information officers from different government offices in Bihar. This shows how committed Bihar government is in promotion of RTI.
In contrast, our government dissolved existing IT commission and classified information limiting the citizens' access to important information. Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai is repeating time and again that he has zero tolerance to corruption. He brought concept of hello sarkar to increase transparency and accountability. RTI has been proved to be the best tool to promote social accountability and control corruption while Hello Sarkar has proved to be waste of time and resource.
Though government has not made supportive environment, civil society has played important role in promoting citizens' right to know. Large section of people even of grass roots has been made aware of RTI. National information commission has also contributed much in promotion of RTI. Tangible progress in the implementation of RTI law has been possible. Finance ministry was compelled to provide investigation report on fake VAT bill scam to the information requester. Ministry of home affair could not keep secret the investigation report on corruption in Banauli Danauli VDC of Mahotari. Parliamentary secretariat could not escape from making public the details regarding personal expenses of CA members that reimbursed from government treasury. Bills in progress in parliamentary committee which used to be secret came into public domain for review. Supreme Court has made a verdict that provides examinee the right to get a copy of answer sheet from the concerned university if they are not satisfied with the marks they obtained. Ministry of Foreign Affair could no longer prevent information regarding progress on the part of Nepal government to adopt convention for International Criminal Court (ICC). There is an application in the oil corporation to know how Government Company with billions rupees of negative net worth is distributing free oil coupons to politicians and bureaucrats though NOC has not yet provided information to the requester. Applications have been registered in the office of different political parties for both financial and nonfinancial information of those parties. Several other applications have been field for information in public agencies nationwide i.e. country is undergoing through real RTI movement.
Evidences show that government is in a mentality to negatively respond the RTI movement. Its decision of information classification a couple of month ago reflects this mentality. The classification might also be bureaucrats' negative response to civil society campaign that has increased demand for information especially with line ministries and departments creating the need of adequate supply. Bureaucracy seems to have fear that if so called secrete information they are holding get disclosed, it weakens them. Political leadership sanctioned classification made by top bureaucrats which was indirectly the reward to those who hesitate to work in a transparent manner.
We cannot ignore the ambiguous way bureaucracy and executives work in Nepal. Bureaucrats grown in the culture of secrecy are feeling uneasy to embrace the norms and values of open and transparent governance. Government leadership also seems loyal to bureaucrats than people to fulfill their vested interests.
The good thing is that government decision of information classification brought the opportunity to make all facets of civil society unite for RTI. Civil society dominantly journalists came to the street and people were sensitized that ultimately promoted RTI. Politicians might have understood the type of society we have and system of governance we need. Government as well as bureaucracy might now have realized that it is not easy to prevent people from exercising their constitutionally guaranteed democratic rights including RTI.
Even if thinking pattern of bureaucrats and the politicians in power has not changed, people have changed their thing pattern a lot. Taking people back to the dark room is not possible. So, politicians and administrators should change themselves. Idea of rule by secrecy has already become obsolete. Politicians, whose career depends upon public support, should not ignore the fact that people want transparency not the secrecy or ambiguity. Thus, government which was compelled to revoke its decision of unlawful information classification should soon come up with progressive national information policy that does not hinder but promotes RTI.
Implementation of RTI law needs high investment but that generates the higher economic benefit.RTI brings corruption down to minimum resulting efficiency in the work of government including projects it is undertaking. It enhances credibility of government within and out of the border. If government shows its commitment to transparency, accountability and good governance issuing RTI policy, generating required fund for RTI promotion will also not be the difficult issue.
National Agenda
There is either no information officer in government agencies or those working as information officers are also the designated ones with other prime responsibility. The government should have at least some hundred information officers in government agencies who know RTI, its essence and the way of its implementation. Available information officers are also not free from the traditional bureaucratic thinking pattern. Tendency of information officers to maintain secrecy of work should be replaced with tendency to bring transparency in the way they behave. Trainings can be of good help to make them RTI friendly. Bureaucrats who are not the information officers should also be trained so that they at least don't create barrier in free flow of information. New recruitments of information officers should be made as a separate group in bureaucracy. RTI should be included as compulsory subject in the syllabus prescribed by central public agency to candidates competing for the government job while separate course should be designed for the information officers. RTI training academy should be established. Good infrastructure should be built in the government offices. The best information officers should be rewarded annually. National information commission should be provided with necessary financial and human resources. After this, government will have moral ground to pressurize on non state parties including NGOs and INGOs to be transparent. Dream of having corruption free society may come true if RTI becomes state owned national agenda.
Thus, government should soon realize the great mistake it made wrongly classifying the information and should effectively implement RTI law in Nepal. RTI project should be the top most priority project as it its significance is higher even than constructing fast track to connect Kathmandu with Terai as RTI itself is a fast track to socio-economic development. The government should play the role of promoter of RTI not only by making environment for supply of information but also by creating demand from public.
(Published in The Rising Nepal, 17 March 2012)
