Provincial parliament secretariat operation to cost 2.55 billion annually

Kathmandu / Jan 7: The cost of operation of all the seven provincial parliament secretariats is estimated to be around Rs. 2.55 billion annually, according to a study carried out by the Legislature-Parliament Secretariat.

Likewise, the provincial parliament secretariats will each require between 47 to 50 staffers to help with administrative responsibilities of the secretariat. Initially however, the Ministry of General Administration will be mobilizing 27 to 30 staff each for the provincial parliament secretariats. The resources required for the provincial parliament secretariat however will be ascertained following the introduction of the provincial parliament regulations, which is currently being drafted.

There are presently 350 staffers working under the Legislature-Parliament Secretariat. However, this will be reviewed to be divided between the new House of Representatives and the National Assembly that formed the parliament in the new federal set up.

Efforts are also being made for interim management of necessary staffers for the provincial ministries as well as well as the parliament secretariats, spokesperson of the Ministry of General Administration Shiva Ram Neupane said.

Even though efforts are being made to adjust staffers from the civil service, health service and parliament service under the employee adjustment act, it has not been possible as the federal parliament and provincial parliament secretariats have a different scope. Hence they would require staff with certain expertise.

As the function, duties and rights of the federal parliament and provincial parliament are different as provided in the constitution, it seems unlikely and impractical for federal parliament staffers to go and work in the provincial parliaments, Parliament Secretariat General Secretary Manohar Prasad Bhattarai said.

Chief of the Administrative Restructuring Unit Prakash Dahal however said that necessary human resources would be managed after the temporary structure and positions are approved for the provinces as an interim measure. “A minimum number of staff will be deputed as an interim measure for the preliminary days in the provincial parliaments,” he said. RSS