A ward chairperson verbally denigrated right to information activist Shiva Prasad Adhikari for requesting information on February 20 in Kathmandu.

Activist Adhikari shared with Freedom Forum that he had filed an RTI application at Tarakeshwor Municipality, seeking information on ongoing development projects and their proposed budgets.

“I received incomplete and unclear information when I filed and RTI application at the municipality two months back. But, as I did not get any response, I filed an appeal at the National Information Commission”, he said.

On the day of appeal, Adhikari received a call from a ward chairperson of the municipality Shyam Krishna Sapkota asking to meet him. “As I met him, he asked abusively why I did not reach anti-graft body in case of any proof of aberration rather than requesting information again and again and troubling the government staffs”, Adhikari shared.

Freedom Forum is concerned over the misbehavior of a local authority to an RTI activist. It is a violation of citizen’s right to information which is guaranteed by the constitution. FF urges the concerned authorities to respond to the applicant’s request.