Orientation on Practical Use of RTI Act

The RTI Support Centre at the freedom1 Forum imparted an orientation on 'Practical Use of RTI Act' to 10 trainee journalists in its office, Thapathali, Kathmandu on August 31, 2012. The orientation was facilitated by journalist and Executive Member of freedom1 Forum, Dharmendra Jha. Executive Director of freedom1 Forum, Krishna Sapkota, Program Officer of the Organization Anirundra Neupane, RTI Support Centre Coordinator Sanjeeb Ghimire and Executive Director of Citizens' Campaign for Right to Information, Mr. Tanka Raj Aryal were the resource persons for the orientation program. During the orientation, the journalists were made aware about what the RTI Act is and what are its main contents as overriding effect and proactive disclosure, what the public agencies are, identification of RTI issues, , information seeking process as lodging application, appealing, and examples of some important successful cases of RTI and the impacts. On the occasion, freedom1 Forum Executive Director Krishna Sapkota shed light on the activities of the freedom1 Forum in relation to the RTI Act. Earlier, on August 18, the RTI Support Centre imparted the orientation on same issue to 15 journalism students from various five colleges in the Kathmandu Valley. The students have been voluntarily involving in the anti-corruption and good governance campaign. Set up with the aim of promoting democratic culture in government activities making the public bodies transparent and accountable to the people, the RTI Support Centre has also launched information seeking campaign.