HoR Session: Lawmakers express objection to lifelong benefits for former VIPs

Kathmandu, March 16: Lawmakers raised objections in today’s House of Representatives meeting, held in the ’emergency time,’ regarding the proposal to provide lifelong benefits to former high-ranking officials.

Nepali Congress lawmaker Ram Krishna Yadav opposed the proposal, arguing that such benefits were inappropriate given the country’s weak economic condition. He stated, “It has been reported that a law is being drafted to provide lifelong benefits to former VIPs. The country is facing a weak economy, and such a proposal is untenable.”

Yadav further noted that the draft law includes allowances for former presidents, prime ministers, former speakers, national assembly chairpersons, and other high-ranking officials, as well as provisions for housing, personal vehicles, and staff for their secretariats. He stressed that such benefits should not be considered amid the country’s economic struggles, poor healthcare access, and growing youth unemployment.

Devendra Paudel of the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist Centre) and Prakash Jwala of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Socialist) also voiced their concerns, calling for prioritization of public welfare instead of offering additional financial burdens to the state.

Additionally, Mahesh Kumar Bartaula, Chief Whip of the CPN (UML), urged the government to provide immediate relief to areas affected by a recent storm in Thaha Municipality, Makawanpur.

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