Kathmandu, September 19

The Legislature-Parliament endorsed a crucial bill related to local level governance today, a day after the completion of the final phase of local level elections.

The passage of the bill gives the newly-formed local bodies a legal basis for discharging their administrative and judicial tasks and duties. The bill has put in place provisions under which the local units can exercise their rights ensured by the constitution.

Among other things, the bill grants power to local levels to register land and call tender for sale of sand and clinkers.

The bill also defines judicial powers of the judicial committees of the local levels to be formed under deputy chiefs of local levels who will settle minor offences, reducing burden on courts of law. The bill gives local levels the authority to award licence for operation of FM radios. It also has a provision for local levels to approve design of those buildings that were built in the past without approval or to allow change in the original design provided that the new design does not violate the building code.

The Parliament also passed another bill related to pay and perks of presidents and vice-presidents.

The Parliament cleared Home Minister Janardan Sharma’s proposal for the consideration of a bill related to mitigation and management of natural disasters. Lawmakers had been demanding for the past decade that the bill be introduced.

Minister Sharma’s other proposal — consideration of bills related to election of national assembly members and election of the president and vice-president — also got the Parliament’s clearance. Tabling the bills, Sharma said they were vital for constitution amendments and timely elections.

The Parliament directed its Legislation Committee to remove the provision related to property will in a bill related to civil code. According to committee’s member Kunti Kumari Shahi, the direction was issued after several women lawmakers opined that the provision curtailed the women’s right to ancestral property.