Karnali Provincial Assembly Winter Session Concludes with Low Legislative Output and Poor Attendance

Surkhet. The winter session of the Karnali Provincial Assembly concluded with a total of 10 meetings, resulting in the passage of only two bills.

According to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, the two bills passed were the Act to establish and operate the Karnali Academy of Arts and Sciences and an amendment to certain provincial laws. The Academy bill was a legacy item, having been registered in the assembly last Jestha. Lawmakers themselves have expressed concerns that the winter session was largely ineffective, noting that many other bills have remained stagnant in committees for up to two years.

Former Chief Minister and Nepali Congress parliamentary party leader Jeevan Bahadur Shahi remarked, "This was supposed to be a legislative session, yet our bills languish in committees for years, leading to public questions about the purpose of this assembly."

Attendance also remained a significant issue. The session began on Magh 18 and concluded on Chaitra 15. Out of the 40-member assembly, only 15 lawmakers attended all 10 meetings. Among those with perfect attendance were Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel, Speaker Nanda Gurung, and several ministers. Conversely, no members from the main opposition party, excluding the Deputy Speaker, attended every session.

Assembly officials have criticized the lack of engagement, noting that while lawmakers receive full salaries and benefits, they fail to prioritize parliamentary duties. "It is concerning that members cannot dedicate even 10 days to attend meetings, despite the significant public expenditure required to run the assembly," an official stated, adding that the current session has been notably unproductive regarding policy formulation and intellectual debate.