• Provision to allow division of one ward between two constituencies

Kathmandu, March 20

The Parliament today passed Constituency Delineation Bill with some revisions.

The bill was passed by majority members of the Parliament after Minister of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ajay Shankar Nayak incorporated some amendments proposed by the main opposition CPN-UML and the ruling CPN-Maoist Centre lawmakers.

Minister Nayak had included the MPs’ proposal for a provision allowing the division of single ward so as to include the split ward into two constituencies. The bill also included amendment proposals to create at least two constituencies for provincial election in one district; and the provision to compel the government to hand over the report of the Constituency Delineation Commission with 15 days after it submits the report to the government.

CPN-UML lawmaker Agni Kharel said that the government must make laws relating to the Upper House and provincial assemblies before declaration of the local polls result.

The House also passed the bill relating to determination of number of wards in the municipality and rural municipality with some revisions. Most of the MPs had criticised the government for tabling the bill only after the determination of local levels by the government on the basis of the Local Bodies Restructuring Commission’s report.

Minister Nayak informed the House that the government has agreed to include a provision allowing two-thirds majority of the local levels to recommend the centres of the wards as per the proposal made by the MPs.

Earlier, speaking during Zero Hour, opposition lawmakers criticised the government for transferring funds to certain districts.

UML lawmaker Rabindra Adhikari said the government was inviting economic anarchism by transferring nearly Rs 200 billion to different districts. UML Vice Chair Bhim Rawal urged government to take initiative to manage the border to minimise repeated tensions at the international border. Aman Lal Modi of the CPN-MC said that some Madhesi parties and the UML were promoting extremism.