Nepali Congress General Secretary Bishwo Prakash Sharma has emphasized the need to make parliamentary proceedings more effective in order to restore and strengthen public trust in the parliament.
Speaking during the special session of today’s House of Representatives meeting, Sharma stressed the need to critically evaluate the current functioning of the parliament. He noted that parliament is not only a platform for forming governments, drafting laws, and approving budgets, but also a space that must instill confidence in the public through its conduct and operations—a responsibility shared by both the ruling and opposition parties.
Sharma remarked, “How successful is the parliament? How effective is the government? How responsible and impactful is the opposition in offering constructive criticism and pressure? Have we succeeded in turning public hope and trust into real achievements?”
He expressed concern over many long-pending bills in parliament, the lack of significant progress in law-making, rising disagreements over key legislation, and the frequent boycotts by some political parties.
Sharma also demanded legal action against those involved in the recent ‘visit visa’ scandal, which is currently under investigation by a high-level committee and the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA).
He advised the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) to show restraint and urged the government, through the Speaker, to expedite the process of returning up to Rs 500,000 to cooperative fraud victims. “The ordinance has already paved the way through parliament, so why is there a delay? I ask the Home Minister through the Speaker—some cooperative fraudsters have gone to jail, but why is there still a delay in prosecuting others? Two of J.B. Rai’s partners are in jail—why is he yet to be brought back to Nepal?” he questioned.
He also urged the government to:
- Accelerate the School Education Bill
- Ensure timely availability of fertilizers to farmers
- Simplify health insurance services
- Facilitate the release of Bipin Joshi
- Make Bhairahawa and Pokhara international airports fully operational
Sharma further requested a careful legal review before granting pardons to prisoners on occasions like Constitution Day, suggesting that only well-behaved inmates should be considered. He concluded by congratulating the government on the recent natural gas discovery in Dailekh and called for the immediate initiation of extraction procedures.
