February 13,  Kathmandu. With the aim that no citizen should be deprived of the right to information, the Federation of Nepali Journalists (FNJ) in collaboration with the National Information Commission has organized a comprehensive interaction program on the topic of 'Exercise of Right to Information in Media: Practice and Challenge'.

Chief guest of the program and Finance Minister Rameshwor Khanal said that the right to information of the people cannot be guaranteed only by the law and it will also be determined by the demands of time. He stressed that getting the right information at the right time has great meaning and stressed that information should not be misused.

Chief Information Commissioner of the National Information Commission Dr. Suresh Acharya said that the trend of using the right to information for bad purposes has increased. He clarified that the right to information is not for daily use but to make hidden information public. He said that the commission is working to implement the fundamental rights of the people and promote the right to information for the public interest.

Federation President Nirmala Sharma said that journalists are the most likely to use the right to information and that it should not be misused. He said that it should be used properly to make the flow of information effective by discouraging false and incomplete information.

Press Council Nepal Chairman Dr. Kumar Sharma Acharya said that information should be used according to the purpose for which it was requested. He said that action would be taken against media outlets and journalists violating the journalist code of conduct as per the rules and emphasized the need to practice ethical journalism.

Former President of the Federation of Nepali Journalists Taranath Dahal opined that the implementation of the Right to Information would highlight the state of good governance in the country. He said that the content of the media can be made factual and credible by using the Right to Information and said that the media should play an effective role in its promotion.

Former President of the Federation Dr. Mahendra Bista said that although it is a good practice to have information officers in offices to make the right to information effective, in some cases, the information officer himself should be aware that he may be out of reach of information. He opined that the Right to Information should be used to promote the rights of the people, not when anger is aroused.

Similarly, former president of the Federation, Bipul Pokharel, said that even after eighteen years of the enactment of the Right to Information Act, it should be reviewed for its lack of effective implementation. He said that since the Right to Information is a means of maintaining a harmonious relationship between the state and the people, everyone should pay attention to it.

A group discussion was also held with activists and journalists on the status of the implementation of the Right to Information at the program. The speakers of the discussion were Federation President Nirmala Sharma, Press Council President Dr. Kumar Sharma Acharya, Federation Vice President and President of the National Federation for Right to Information Umid Bagchand, former president of the Federation Taranath Dahal, senior journalists Babita Basnet and Durga Dulal. The discussion was facilitated by General Secretary Ram Prasad Dahal.

Journalist and teacher Ekraj Pathak presented a working paper on the use and practice of the Right to Information in the media.

The program was attended by office bearers and members of the Federation, as well as representatives of various bodies and journalists. The program was facilitated by Federation Secretary Baikuntha Raj Parajuli.
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