KATHMANDU, Feb 22: From now on, the Speaker of the House of Representatives (HoR) has to determine the first hour of the meeting on any particular day in the first week of every month for the lawmakers to ask questions on important matters directly related to the prime minister or his jurisdiction.
The new provision will come into effect after the HoR approves the draft of the proposal of new regulation tabled in today's HoR meeting.
A HoR Rules Drafting Committee has included a provision in the House of Representatives Rules, 2079 BS, that proposes "The Speaker shall determine the first hour of the meeting on any particular day of the first week of every month to ask questions on important matters directly related to the prime minister or his work area."
Prior to this, Chapter 9 of the Constitution had a provision for lawmakers to ask questions on important matters directly related to the prime minister or the ministries within his jurisdiction in the first one hour of the first meeting of the HoR in the first and third week of every month.
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Similarly, the House has passed the provision that the House of Representatives should decide the action on impeachment motion in accordance with Rule 157 within five months. Earlier, no time was fixed for the questioning related to impeachment motion.
Similarly, a new provision has been implemented under which no member of parliament except a sitting minister can be a member of more than one thematic committee of the HoR at the same time. Regardless of what is written in sub-rule 4, if a member wants to attend the meeting of the committee of which he is not a member and participate in the discussion, he can attend the meeting by informing the chairman of the relevant committee at least one day before the day of the meeting.
From now on, the general secretary, secretary and secretary of the House committees will be allowed to express their opinion on the matters under consideration in the committee meeting with the permission of the committee chair.
If a member's personal interest clashes with the subject under consideration in a committee, the member concerned should not participate in the discussion and decision on that particular subject.
Similarly, if any member of parliament who was arrested is cleared or released from prison, the information about the release of the suspension shall be given to the House immediately by the speaker and published in a notice when the session is not in session.
Similarly, the House of Representatives Rules Drafting Committee has stipulated that the first hour of the first meeting of each day should be fixed for question and answer, unless otherwise ordered by the Speaker. According to sub-rule (1), after the end of the question and answer time, other actions will be started as per the agenda of the meeting.
Likewise, the speaker should fix the zero hour and special time for presenting current affairs that the members feel necessary. In the regulation, a provision has been implemented that the minister concerned must give an answer to the matter raised at zero and special hours as per sub-rule (1) within seven days. Likewise, unless otherwise ordered by the speaker, the meeting will normally start at 1 am, then the speaker will announce the start and adjournment of each meeting. However, if the Speaker gives a written instruction to the Deputy Speaker or if the Speaker is unable to attend the meeting due to circumstances beyond his control, the Deputy Speaker may announce the commencement and adjournment of the meeting or the postponement of the meeting initiated by the Speaker.
