29 December 2019, Kathmandu
The Development and Technology Committee under the House of Representatives on Sunday has declared the information technology (IT) bill with a majority despite opposition from the main opposition party Nepali Congress (NC).
According to Chairman of the committee Kalyani Khadka, out of 131 clauses in the Bill, amendments to 36 have been made, and eight points on which participating lawmakers put different views, have been under the amendment process. “We all have accepted the fact that works should be carried out on the basis of majority in lack of consensus. There is no disagreement about the procedure,” Khadka stated in the meeting. “I, therefore, urge you all to not feel bullied on the basis of majority. I urge the honorable members to pass the bill stepping on clause 181 of the regulation as the second way has to be taken.”
Similarly, formulation of the bill was in line with the constitution and democratic norms- shared Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Gokul Prasad Baskota. “The law is for all. It does not belong to only the ruling party. There are rumours making the rounds that the Bill has contents that restrict rights of citizens. One can criticise the government,” he said.
In the meeting, lawmakers from the ruling Nepal Communist Party called for the passage of the Bill with amendments to its 36 points. Likewise, lawmakers of main opposition Nepali Congress demanded removal of clause 88 and clause 91 to 94, which they claimed are against freedom of the people and the spirit of the constitution.
Likewise, lawmaker Rangamati Shahi objected the bill, saying the bill does not allow speak about government’s wrong doings while Top Bahadur Rayamajhi said that the bill was brought to make information technology systematic but news and opinion should be respected.
Similarly, Ganesh Kumar Pahadi said that many people became victim in lack of another law to make science and technology issues systematic. Lawmakers– Yagyaraj Sunuwar, Damodar Bhandari, Kedar Sigdel, Asha Kumari BK and Lilanath Shrestha stressed the need of approving the bill.
