Govt registers Constitution amendment bill

KATHMANDU: After the Council of Ministers passed its draft, the Constitution amendment bill was registered at the Parliament Secretariat on Tuesday evening.

The seven-point bill proposes to amend provisions related to issues including redrawing provincial boundaries, recognition of languages, citizenship and representation in the National Assembly in Nepal's Constitution that was promulgated in September last  year.

The Cabinet meeting was held at the Prime Minister's official residence in Baluwatar.

An official at the Ministry for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, on behalf of the government, registered the bill at the Parliament Secretariat's Bill Section, according to the Rastriya Samachar Samiti.

The bill proposes revision of boundaries of two provinces --  keeping the region east of Bardaghat in Nawalparasi district and the eastern part of Rukum  district in Province No. 4, and the region west of Bardaghat in Nawalparasi, Rupandehi, Kapilvastu, Dang, Banke and Bardia districts in Province No. 5.

The bill brought as per the Article 296 of Nepal's Constitution would mature after five days of registration, the  RSS reported quoting an offical at the House Secretariat.

The Nepali Congress-Maoist coalition government prepared the bill for the amendment to the Constitution in order to address the demands put forth by the agitating Madhesi parties.

The alliance of Madhesi parties had served an ultimatum that ended yesterday to bring an amendment proposal.

The main opposition CPN-UML, which is second largest party in the Parliament, however, has opposing the purported amendment.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal had transpired at his party's politburo meeting that the proposal would be passed by the Cabinet and registered at the Parliament today itself.

It has been learned that the top leaders of Nepali Congress and CPN Maoist Centre had held a meeting with leader Kamal Thapa, who is the chairman and Parliamentary Party leader of unified Rastriya Prajatantra Party.

RPP is the fourth largest party in the Parliament.

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Updated