The committee has two members each from the Nepali Congress, the CPN-UML and the UCPN (Maoist) and one from Madhesi parties.

The committee has got three months to submit its report. Members include Bal Bahadur KC and Kamal Pangeni of the NC, Bhim Rawal and Bhanubhakta Dhakal of the UML, Rekha Sharma and Ram Narayan Bidari of the Maoists and Laxman Lal Karna of the Madhes-based parties.

The basis for the committee formation is an agreement reached between the major parties on December 14 last year. Recently, opposition parties obstructed House proceeding for 13 days demanding the panel.

Rastriya Prajatantra Party-Nepal leader Kamal Thapa objected to the formation of the panel citing that the due process was not followed. “As per the rules of procedure, a proposal to form such a committee should come through the Speaker—not lawmakers,” said Thapa.

The proposal to form the investigation committee was tabled by NC Chief Whip Chin Kaji Shrestha and seconded by UML lawmaker Rajendra Pandey and Maoist Party Chief Whip Giriraj Mani Pokharel.

Responding to Thapa, Speaker Subas Nembang cited precedents and maintained that proposals may be tabled by lawmakers with consent from the Speaker.

Other points of the recent inter-party agreement reached for resuming House proceedings include setting up a High-level Political Committee and an all-party committee at the local level to monitor projects implemented with the budget transferred at the end of the current fiscal year.

The parties will also give Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat an opportunity to clarify to Parliament the issue of budget transfers.

The HLPC leadership remains a contentious issue after Maoist Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal staked claim to head the cross-party mechanism permanently. Following a drubbing in the CA polls, a group of parties led by the Maoists had alleged “systemic rigging” and threatened to boycott post-poll proceedings.