A little over 30 days’ delay as per the CA schedule, the budget session of the Legislature-Parliament rounded off at 9 p.m. on Monday. The activities spanned over a period of 137 days, but the important ones were the 45 days with 47 meetings that produced results. The remainder were ones when the work of the House was stalled by MPs affiliated to one party or the other with demands of their interest. This shows that democracy is working through the people’s representatives playing their part, which for most of them comes through directives of the party they belong to. Despite the acrimonious relations highlighted between some of the major parties, there were no fisticuffs. It also went on to prove that matters can move peacefully and the MPs have the right to speak to please their backers, the people whom they represent.

Big wonders were expected. The budget speech was one, though. It marked a departure from the set pattern, only that claims and counter claims are there about the achievements made since. The Prime Minister’s speech regarding the Pashupatinath priests and the NC demands were also major attention grabbers. Above all, the CA got the members and chiefs of the 23 committees, including the Constitutional Committee, to get going with the constitution-writing task. The list is long, but expectations have not ended. Yet, the forum has served its purpose for the time being.