Pokhara Ward Members Appeal to National Information Commission Over Withheld City Council Decisions

Pokhara. Two months after the 18th City Council meeting of Pokhara Metropolitan City concluded, ward members have filed a petition with the National Information Commission demanding access to the decisions, citing non-disclosure.

The members resorted to legal recourse after the Metropolitan administration repeatedly ignored their requests for certified copies of the City Council's decisions.

Ward No. 4 member Prakash Koirala, Ward No. 33 member Prakash Karki, Ward No. 11 member Sushil Bastola, and Ward No. 10 member Purnachandra Neupane jointly filed the application with the Information Commission demanding the decisions from the council meeting held on Poush 30.

The appeal letter also demands fines and departmental action against responsible officials under Section 32 of the Act for concealing information, delaying, and violating the law. "It is shameful that we have to file a complaint to obtain City Council decisions," said Koirala. "Decisions that should have been made public were not even provided after filing an application."

Members of the council itself have complained that the Metropolis adds unnecessary agendas while making decisions in the council meeting.