The budget session of the federal parliament ended on Thursday without endorsing some important bills including medical education and citizenship bills.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) and Chairman of National Assembly ended their respective houses citing President Bidya Devi Bhandari’s letter to prorogue the parliament session.

The second session of the Federal Parliament that started on May 6 completed important tasks. They include drafting its regulations, endorsing government policy and programme and federal budget, drafting all fundamental rights bills, forming all 16 parliamentary committees and electing their chairpersons besides endorsing resolution motion regarding violence against women.

Earlier at the meeting, Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara gave a brief overview of the major tasks accomplished by the second session of the House.

The second session of the HoR met for 135 days. The joint sittings of both the houses convened four times within a span of one month from May 21 to June 22.

Among the 32 bills registered at both the Houses of the Federal Parliament, 23 bills - including 16 bills related to fundamental rights enshrined by the new constitution - have been endorsed. The 16 bills related to basic rights had to be endorsed by September 18 as per constitution. During this session, the parliament also endorsed five conventions and agreements.

While the parliament focused on endorsing bills related to fundamental rights by shortening the process, the medical education bill is pending after one month of discussion. The Lower House is yet to endorse bills on insurance, pension, medical education, auditing, citizenship and payments and settlement.

Three bills related to Administrative court, amendment on Civil Code, and the one related to Controlling International Trade of Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora are with the Upper House.

While concluding the session, Lower House Speaker Mahara said the next session of parliament would give priority to endorse the pending bills.

After the Medical Education Ordinance introduced earlier lost effect following parliament’s failure to endorse it, the Education Ministry registered the National Medical Education Bill.

The Education and Health Committee of the House is currently mulling over the bill. It has formed a subcommittee for “thorough deliberation” on the bill before tabling it in the full House for endorsement.

Meanwhile, the National Assembly had determined the terms of all its members including the chairman and vice-chairman on June 18 as per its regulation.

Speaking at the National Assembly, Nepali Congress member Surendra Raj Pandey said many activities were made possible due to the agreement and co-operation between ruling and opposition parties. He pointed out some activities the second session of the parliament failed to take up.

“We failed to initiate question-answer session in parliament and could not manage our activities by developing a calendar. We wish these issues could be addressed in the next session,” Pandey said, and added most ministers failed to respond to many issues raised by the opposition during parliament meetings.

RJP-N lawmaker Brikesh Chandra Lal focused on implementation of the laws that were endorsed by the

parliament.

“If not implemented, the laws would only remain as legislation on paper,” he said. Lal accused the government of failing to respond issues on education, health, employment and development works raised by the lawmakers.

Pending Bills

at Lower House

• Bill to manage auditing
• Bill to manage payments and settlements
• Bill to amend Nepal Citizenship Act 2063 BS
• Bill to manage Pension Funds
• Bill to amend and integrate Insurance Act
• National Medical Education Bill

at Upper House

• Administrative Court Bill
• Bill on amendment of Some Nepal Act relating to Civil Code.
• Bill on Controlling International Trade of Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora