Preparations on for House of Representatives and National Assembly

Kathmandu, December 19

The Parliament Secretariat today started setting up meeting halls for the House of Representatives and National Assembly at International Convention Centre New Baneshwor.

Parliament General Secretary Manohar Bhattarai said the main hall (Sagarmatha) would be used for the House of Representatives meetings and for joint meetings of both the Houses. The hall was previously used by the Constituent Assembly and later by the CA-turned Legislatiure-Parliament.

“We are rearranging the hall, which currently has more than 601 seats. We will re arrange the seats whereby 380 seats in the middle part will be allocated for 275 HoR members, 59 to NA members, ministers and government officials,” he said.

The remaining seats will be allocated for the press gallery and other secretariat staffers.

General Secretary Bhattarai said painting of the hall, maintenance of seats and arrangement of microphones had also begun.

The seats and walls of the HoR are being painted green. “We chose green colour as the HoR has representatives of the grassroots level people,” said Parliament Secretariat Joint Secretary Suraj Kumar Dura. He said the hall would have three rows, of which two would be allocated for ruling parties, while the opposition would get one row. “Seat numbers would be assigned after formation of the government,” said Dura.

For the National Assembly, the ICC’s Nuptse Hall will be used. The hall currently has 75 seats, which will be divided into three rows — for NA members, minsters, and staffers and the press.

Dura said the walls of the hall would be painted red, and the height of the stage would be increased.

Two buildings in the northern side of main ICC building will be used by secretariats of the two houses.

The Parliament Secretariat, which oversees both the houses, has already proposed a new organisational structure to conduct the two houses.

According to Parliament Secretary Jeeb Raj Budhathoki, they have proposed appointment of four secretaries to conduct the houses.

As per the proposal, the NA and the HoR will have one secretary each, while other secretaries include an administrative secretary and secretary of parliamentary study and research unit.