KATHMANDU, Oct 13: The Legislature-parliament is holding its last meeting on Friday. It is scheduled to endorse bills on elections of the National Assembly and the Language Commission.

As per the Article 296 of the constitution, the House will dissolve automatically a day before the nominations for the elections to the federal parliament. The Election Commission has fixed the date for the nomination for Proportional Representation on Sunday. The country is conducting the elections to the federal and provincial parliaments in November 26 and December 7.

The incumbent parliament was elected as the second Constitution Assembly in November 2013. The CA consisting of 601 members promulgated the new constitution of Nepal on September 20, 2015. It was given continuity as the transitional parliament to lay the ground for the next election which would elect a new parliament.

The first meeting of the present parliament was held on January 26, 2014. Since then, it has spent nearly 1,000 hours to hold 394 meetings in 958 days, until Thursday.

Parliament held seven sessions and also recorded a precedent of the longest house session of 381 days last year. The parliament amended the new constitution within a year of its promulgation but the second bill to amend the constitution failed in the House.

The parliament endorsed over two dozen laws which also included the substitution if 180-year-old Civil Code (Muluki Aain).

Meanwhile, Speaker Onsari Gharti Magar will officially bid fare well to the lawmaker on Saturday.

According to Gharti’s press advisor Babin Sharma, Saturday’s meeting will not include any regular business. The Speaker and top leaders of major political parties will address the meeting.

The lawmakers will be provided travel fare on the last day as per the tradition.

KATHMANDU, Sept 25: In a meeting of the Legislature-Parliament today, Speaker Onsari Gharti read out a letter received from the Office of Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. The letter is about the recent expansion of the size of Council of Ministers.

Similarly, Legislature-Parliament’s State Affairs Committee President Dil Bahadur Gharti presented the Committee report relating to the Employees Adjustment Bill- 2074 BS before the House.

At the same meeting, Finance Committee President Prakash Jwala tabled the Committee reports about Inter-Government Finance Management Bill–2074 BS and National Natural Resources and Fiscal Commission.

Presenting the documents, President Jwala said such bills would help implement federalism in the country. RSS

KATHMANDU, Sept 7: The State Affairs Committee (SAC) under the Legislature-Parliament has today begun discussions in principles on the bill drafted regarding the privileges to Ex-VVIPs. Minister for Home Affairs Janardan Sharma had briefed the meeting regarding the provisions of the bill to provide the privileges to former VVIPs.

The bill under discussion proposes Rs 200,000 a month for house rent, Rs 50,000 for monthly allowance and Rs 25,000 for vehicle repair for the former President.

Similarly, the bill proposes Rs 75,000 for house rent, Rs 40,000 as monthly allowance, Rs 25,000 for vehicle repair for former Vice-President.

Likewise, former Prime Ministers, former speakers and former National Assembly chairpersons will also receive Rs 75,000 for house rent, Rs 25,000 for vehicle repair.

Registering an amendment to the Bill, lawmakers Rajib Bikram Shah and Kalpana Chaudhary, proposing that country’s former lawmakers should be provided with parks and facilities as the provision is in place in SAARC countries.

Lawmaker Prem Suwal registered an amendment to the Bill, proposing scrapping the provision to provide privileges to ex-VVIPs (including Prime Minister, Speaker, and Chief Justice) except former President and Vice President, as he argued that the provision was not necessary, with the possibility available for them to return to active politics.

Lawmaker Gangalal Tuladhar viewed that a subcommittee should be formed, and a conclusion to this effect could be reached after consultation with experts in related field.
Discussions in principles on the Bill have started, and further discussions would be held in next meeting, said the Committee President Dil Bahadur Gharti. RSS 

KATHMANDU, Aug 21: The CPN (ML) has boycotted today’s voting process on the constitution amendment bill. The constitution amendment bill was tabled in the parliament meeting.

Five lawmakers of the party boycotted the voting process soon after speaker Onsari Gharti announced the voting process. RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug 21: Nepali Congress leader Bimalendra Nidhi has appealed for support to the constitution amendment bill tabled in the parliament.

Taking part in today’s meeting of the Legislature-Parliament, leader Nidhi urged all to garner support from all parties to the constitution amendment bill.

Similarly, CPN-UML lawmaker Yagya Sunuwar said his party would not support the amendment proposal brought by the government at a time when the country is facing problems due to landslide and flood. He said the UML would stand against the constitution amendment proposal.

Likewise, Amanlal Modi of CPN (Maoist Centre), said that all parties should stand in favor of constitution amendment proposal as it was brought in favor of the suppressed people.

Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal leader Sarbendranath Sukla said that the RJPN would support the constitution amendment proposal with a belief that it would help establish peace and move the country ahead.

Leader Ashok Rai, also of the same party, said only the general issues raised by the agitating parties would be addressed.

President of Rastriya Janamorcha Chitra Bahadur KC expressed the view that the constitution amendment would be appropriate only after holding extensive deliberations at the provincial level after the completion of election at all the three tiers.
CPN-UML’s Prem Giri said the amendment introduced to recognize a foreign language as national language is not acceptable at any cost.

NC’s Pradip Giri said the parliament should not only be used as a forum for making governments but also to inform the people on the burning issues of the nation.

Clause-wise deliberations on the Bill relating to second amendment to the Constitution of Nepal, 2073 is underway at the parliament. RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug 6: The Industry, Commerce and Consumer Welfare Committee under the Legislature-Parliament is to carry out an onsite visit of the land purchased by Nepal Oil Corporation in four districts for petroleum storage.

Committee President Bhishmaraj Angdembe informed today’s meeting that a group of lawmakers elected from these four districts would be selected and sent for the onsite monitoring.

He said that preparation was underway to send the group to Jhapa, Sarlahi, Chitwan and Rupandehi districts for onsite study.
The group would collect real facts by holding discussion with representatives of concerned offices, people’s representatives of local-level and locals of the area, where the NOC had purchased the land, of four districts.

On the occasion, Lawmakers– Subas Chandra Thakuri, Bhesh Kumari Raut, Krishna Prasad Poudel, Shambhu Lal Shrestha, Deepak Karki and Shyam Kumar Shrestha, among others, stressed the need of carrying out comprehensive investigation into the land purchase scandal. RSS

KATHMANDU, Aug 6: Deliberations on the amendment bill related to the election of members of provincial assembly has continued in the meeting of the State Affairs Committee under the Legislature-Parliament on Sunday.

Most of the speakers in the meeting have suggested lessening the cost and making cost-friendly election system. They stressed on managing electrical voting machine as existing election system was time consuming and impractical.

Home Minister Janardan Sharma assured to cooperate with the Election Commission, urging the EC to amend the bill in accordance with amendment suggestions given by lawmakers.

On the other hand, Chief Election Commissioner Dr Ayodhee Prasad Yadav opined that the responsibility of fixing the election date should be assigned to EC or it should be clearly mentioned in the law.

Lawmakers Shakti Basnet, Rekha Sharma, Ram Hari Khatiwada, Dhaniram Poudel stressed on making the electoral system simple and cost-friendly.

A total of 259 amendments have been registered on the bill under consideration in the parliament. RSS

KATHMANDU, July 26: Lawmakers, speaking during the meeting of the Finance Committee of the Legislature-Parliament on Tuesday, have demanded stern action against those dillydallying, cheating in and failing to complete construction works in time.

The committee has urged the government to act tough on such people, saying there was high mismanagement in the public works.

A majority of the lawmakers speaking in the meeting pointed out that most of the projects in the country were in trouble due to the contractors’ negligence alone and demanded that a mechanism be set up to check such malpractices.

MPs Surendra Pandey, Bharat Mohan Adhikari, Shakti Basnet, Kedar Sanjel, Udaya Shamsher Rana and Deepak Kuinkel stressed on the need of formulating concrete work plan for reforming such tendencies as the contractors failing to complete projects on the stipulated time and the government exhausting the development budget only at the end of the fiscal year.

The meeting has alerted the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers and the Ministry of Finance to make arrangements for capital expenditure in the ratio of 20 per cent in the first quarter, 40 per cent in the second quarter and 40 per cent in the third quarter of the fiscal year.

Committee president Prakash Jwala said the government has been directed to make the required policy provisions for increasing the capital expenditures.

He added that the government has also been urged to check the misuse of budget mostly at the end of the fiscal year, concluding that there was maximum misuse of the development budget at the end of the fiscal year.

Joint Secretary of the Finance Ministry, Kebal Bhandari said the government was making preparation to put in place provisions for sending the budget in the bank account of the bodies concerned through digital technology. He said this system would address the problem related to cashing the cheque.

Finance Minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki said the government needed the cooperation of all for making the country’s fiscal administration systematic, dignified and accountable.

He added that the Ministry has started works toward stopping the delays and irregularities in the construction works backed by a concrete work plan.

He insisted that he would actively work towards increasing the capital expenditure and stopping the tendency to spend a chunk of the development budget mostly at the end of the fiscal year. RSS

KATHMANDU, July 23: Lawmakers have attention of the government over the dilly dallying in the expansion of the Council of Ministers.

Speaking during a meeting of the Legislature-Parliament on Sunday, they further alerted the government on the compulsion of completing three-tier of elections before coming January.

Speaking during special hour of the meeting, Nepali Congress lawmaker Bal Bahadur KC demanded action those involved in attacking him and Necha-Salyan Rural Municipality-6 ward candidate Tanka Bahadur Karki in course of the second phase of local election campaign.

Similarly CPN (UML) lawmaker Rajendra Prasad Pandey expressed doubt over the timely election of Province and Federal parliaments. He further said that the contract of construction of Budhigandaki Hydro Project was given to a controversial company, which would not ensure timely completion of the project.

On the other hand lawmaker Kunti Kumari Shahi urged the Speaker’s ruling against the malpractice of Chahupadi that continues in the Far-west of the country.

Similarly, speaking at the meeting some lawmakers demanded intensifying the post-quake projects and ending violence against women. Along with it, some lawmakers even opined for directly elected head of executive in the country.

Lawmakers Ishwari Neupane, Brijesh Kumar Gupta, Janaki Kumari Saud, Narsingh Chaudhary, Meena Pun, Prem Suwal, Janakraj Joshi, Shanta Manavi, Aman Lal Modi, Madhu Shahi, Surya Prakash Bala Rai among others also spoke about contemporary issues. RSS

KATHMANDU, July 20: While speaking in today’s meeting of the Legislature-Parliament, Nepali Congress lawmaker Bhimsen Das Pradhan urged the concerned authority to improve the roads in the capital as they are in pitiable condition.

He further announced to provide his one month equivalent salary for setting up a revolving fund in a memory of Binita Phunyal who recently lost her life after she was drowned in a water-filled ditch on the road in the capital.

Similarly, CPN (UML) lawmaker Bhim Rawal urged for immediate formation of constituency fixation commission adding that it was urgent for provincial and federal elections.
Lawmaker Abhishek Pratap Sah drew the attention of the government to form a parliamentary committee to investigate into the Bhairahawa Custom Office as officials there were reportedly involving in embezzlement.
Lawmaker Shiva Chandra Chaudhary objected over the decision of allocating the responsibility of construction of Budhigandaki Hydro Project to a Chinese company without open tender process.
Lawmaker Anuradha Thapa urged for managing the compensation from the road construction company to the families of Binita Phunyal.

Lawmaker Janak Raj Joshi blamed the government as it was exercising to run the state mechanism through executive order which may usurp parliamentary rights.

Similarly, lawmakers Yagyaraj Sunuwar, Dilman Pakhrin, Kamala Kumari Ghimire, Guru Prasad Burlakoti and Angdawa Sherpa also demanded for the compensation to the landslide victims of Dhading and Ramechhap. RSS