Eight bills pending as sudurpaschim province assembly winter session remains uncertain

Kailali: The Sudurpaschim Province Assembly, the key legislative body in the region, has not been convened for the past four months, leaving several important bills pending.

Traditionally, the winter session is held in Poush or Magh, but this year it has yet to commence. Since the conclusion of the budget session, which began on Jestha 11 and ended on Magh 25, no concrete steps have been taken to call a new session.

Sudurpaschim Province Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah stated that the provincial government is preparing to convene a provincial assembly session within Chaitra. He noted that eight bills, including the Forest Act Amendment Bill, Tikapur Technical University Operation and Management Bill, Badghar Bhalmansa Custom Bill, Dalit Empowerment Amendment Bill, and Local Service Operation Act Amendment Bill, are in the process of registration. Preparations are underway to submit these bills to the House by the end of the month for discussion.

Chief Minister Shah urged all provincial assembly members to ensure serious deliberation on the bills that have already been introduced. Sudurpaschim Provincial Assembly Speaker Bhim Bahadur Bhandari emphasized that the session should be called without delay, given that eight bills with amendments are currently registered in the Assembly.

Recently, the Nepali Communist Party (NCP) Provincial Parliamentary Party submitted a letter to Chief Minister Shah, giving him one week to call a regular session. The NCP, as the main opposition party, has expressed dissatisfaction over the delay, noting that the sixth session of the Provincial Assembly ended months ago.

Provincial Assembly member Akkal Bahadur Rawal of the opposition criticized the provincial government for its reluctance to convene the session, stating that the absence of the House has hindered the raising of public issues and stalled the law-making process. He added that the delay is particularly concerning as preparations for the new fiscal year’s budget are approaching, significantly affecting policy implementation.