After a gap of 15 years, the Legislature-Parliament is preparing to start a question-answer session in its meeting where lawmakers will be allowed to quiz ministers directly.

The Parliament Secretariat is preparing the working procedure for the session as provisioned by Clause 258 of the Parliament regulations that came into effect five months ago.

The Legislation Committee of Parliament introduced the provision with an aim to make the government answerable to the House. The QA session was put out of practice ever since the dissolution of Parliament in 2001.

According to Babin Sharma, press adviser to Speaker Onasari Gharti, the working procedure is near completion. In the session, lawmakers will be allowed to ask questions to the prime minister or ministers directly on issues of public importance once a week during the first two hours of the House session. “The question and answer session will start very soon,” said Sharma.

In every session, two ministers will be questioned by 10 lawmakers each. Sharma said each MP can ask one question and have cross questions if the reply from the PM or ministers does not satisfy them. The PM or ministers, however, need to be informed about the topic of discussion at least 48 hours ahead of the session.

The session is being implemented at a time when a majority of lawmakers express dissatisfaction that the government never addresses their concerns. In every House meeting, at least two dozen lawmakers speak on various issues of public concern during the zero hour and in special time.

However, their concerns are seldom addressed. “I have spoken about the concerns of earthquake victims 21 times but the government has never responded to it,” Nepali Congress lawmaker Ram Hari Khatiwada told Parliament on Monday.

Sharma said the new system would be helpful in making the executive more accountable.