KATHMANDU, May 25: After President Bidya Bhandari sent the Passport Bill back to the lower house of parliament without authenticating it, the upper house is likely to revise the bill.
Earlier, the lower house had sent the bill to the president without upper house's endorsement after the upper house failed to take decision on the bill within two months, the constitutional deadline. According to the constitution the upper house should endorse or suggest revision on any bills endorsed and sent by lower house within two months. The bill was tabled in the upper house in September 27, 2018.
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Upper house lawmakers were of the views that they missed the deadline because House session was prorogued immediately after the bill was received and the next session didn't commence within two months.
President Bhandari wrote to parliament secretariat on Wednesday to review the Passport Bill on two issues. The president has in her letter has stated that the bill has 'unclear provisions over issuance and usage of different types of passports'. According to the secretary at the House of Representatives Gopalnath Yogi this is the first time the president has returned a bill to the parliament for review.
Article 113 of the constitution has allowed the president to send back any bill to parliament for revision within 15 days after receiving the bill for authentication if he/she realized so.
But due to unclear provisions regarding the revision process for such bills, the parliament secretariat has yet to make any decision on the process ahead.
