A parliamentary committee has submitted a report at the Province-3 Assembly, proposing to amend a bill regarding the birth registration of children.

Following deliberation on an amendment proposal of the bill, the Education, Health and Agriculture committee presented its report at the assembly meeting on Tuesday, giving its consent to the amendment proposal with the provision of registering a child’s birth by the name of either the father or the mother.  

The provincial government on March 31 introduced the bill that states that a mother, father or a guardian can register a child’s birth with the name and citizenship number of either the child’s father or mother. Stating that the provision of compulsorily mentioning names of both mother and father contradicts with the constitutional provision, some provincial assembly members including Radha Ghale and Bijaya Shrestha KC registered the amendment proposal at the parliament.  

Article 38 sub-article 1 of the Constitution of Nepal 2015 states that every woman shall have an equal lineage right without any discrimination. Women lawmakers claimed that the provisions to register a child’s birth were clearly against the spirit of the constitution and demanded that the bill be amended.

The provincial assembly meeting also unanimously endorsed the proposal to send four other bills for deliberation. The Province 3 government has also introduced a bill that contradicts with the federal law. The bill in relation to the cooperative sector has a provision that states that a person from the board of directors can be appointed in an executive post. Following the deliberation, the Province Assembly approved a report presented by the Education, Health and Agriculture Committee regarding the bill on Wednesday.

The bill will be tabled in the Provincial Assembly on Thursday for endorsement. In accordance with the federal law regarding the management of the cooperative, a member of the board of directors cannot hold any executive post.

Meanwhile, the Provincial Assembly meeting on Wednesday endorsed a bill regarding child rights. The bill presented by Social Development Minister Yuvraj Dulal was endorsed unanimously.