NA’s 19th Session Achieved Notable Progress Despite Short Duration: Chairman Dahal

Kathmandu, Feb 13: Chairman of the National Assembly of Nepal, Narayan Prasad Dahal, has said the 19th session of the National Assembly (NA) recorded significant achievements despite a challenging political environment following the Gen-Z Movement and the limited duration of the session.

Addressing the NA meeting on Thursday, Chairman Dahal noted that although the session was brief, its contributions were meaningful and impactful. The session, which commenced on January 18, lasted 27 days and held nine meetings.

During the session, the Intangible Cultural Property (Protection) Bill, 2081, was forwarded to the Legislation Management Committee for clause-wise deliberations. Similarly, the Tourism Bill, 2081, the Film Board Bill, 2081, and the National Forensic Science Laboratory (Establishment and Operation) Bill, 2081 were sent to the House of Representatives for endorsement. The government also withdrew the Social Networks Bill, 2081.

The Assembly unanimously endorsed the Ordinance to Amend the Voter Namelist Act, 2073, the House of Representatives Member First Amendment Ordinance, 2082, and the Nepal Special Assembly Act (Second Amendment) Ordinance after tabling them in the House.

Chairman Dahal further informed that question-answer sessions were conducted with the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs, the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, and the Ministry of Finance to ensure parliamentary oversight and accountability.

During the session, NA members Narayan Kaji Shrestha, Bhagawati Neupane and Bamdev Gautam resigned, while NA member Baldev Bohora from Sudurpaschim Province passed away.

NA member Dr Beduram Bhusal said three bills were passed, three endorsed and one referred to committee during the session, while four study reports were presented, two of which were discussed. He also raised concerns over the security situation ahead of the upcoming House of Representatives election and urged the government to ensure a safe environment.

Similarly, Krishna Bahadur Rokaya described the session as productive but questioned whether elections alone would address the country’s broader challenges. Gopal Bhattarai stressed the need to conduct the HoR election in a free and fair manner, calling for restoration of public confidence in security agencies and recovery of looted weapons. Tul Prasad Bishwokarma emphasized that those involved in vandalism and attacks must be brought to justice to ensure a secure electoral atmosphere.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Chairman Dahal read out a letter from the President’s Office announcing the prorogation of the House session effective from midnight.