Surkhet, September 10

Karnali Provincial Assembly has yet to make necessary laws even eight months after the assembly was formed. The assembly, which is supposed to hold discussion for making important laws, has been halted since one month.

The speaker along with other assembly members reached Kathmandu after the meeting was postponed on August 10. As many as 37 meetings of the province assembly were held. According to the PA secretariat, the assembly has passed 13 bills. Of them, eight bills related to finance were passed, while five are with the concerned committee for discussion. Around half-a-dozen bills are yet to be registered in the assembly. The committees of the assembly have been deactivated and their leaderships are yet to be chosen.

As many as four committees under the province assembly have also been deactivated after the assembly meeting was postponed. The committees could not elect the leadership and prepare the work procedure due to irregular meetings.

The Province Affairs, Finance and Natural Resources, Public Account and Social Development committees monitor and give suggestions on the government’s works. They also maintain coordination between government and assemblyt. The PA’s 10th meeting had formed the committees.

Almost all Nepal Communist Party (NCP) leaders and assembly members including Chief Minister Mahendra Bahadur Shahi, Speaker Raj Bahadur Shahi, Finance Minister Prakash Jawala and Social Development Minister Dal Rawal, among others, are in Kathmandu. Meanwhile, Nepali Congress assembly member Jiban Bahadur Shahi accused the government of deactivating the PA. He said a wrong message had spread among people.

Meanwhile, speaker Raj Bahadur Shahi said that he was preparing to call the Province Assembly meeting soon. He said the meeting was postponed as the government needed some time to prepare the bills. “The government has registered necessary bills in the Assembly Secretariat,” he informed. He added that the parties have been holding discussion to call for the assembly meeting within some weeks.