SATV 25 April, Kathmandu: As the budget session of the Federal Parliament is beginning on Friday, the government and the parliament have myriad problems to sort out immediately, with the demands of the agitating teachers at the top of their menu.
The schoolteachers have been staging in Kathmandu for 23 days demanding endorsement of the School Education Bill. The protracted demonstrations of school teachers has affected not only the academic activities but also everyday life of people in Kathmandu.
The government is under pressure to address their demands while the civil servants are also warning of staging similar protest demanding the passage of Civil Service Act. Both acts have been pending in parliament for years.
After a winter session slowed by political disagreements and procedural delays, there is cautious optimism that the government is now prepared to move forward with its commitments and deliver tangible results for the country. Speaker of the House of Representatives Devraj Ghimire has already laid out a robust plan to ensure the budget session does not meet the fate of its previous sessions.
In a meeting with party whips on Wednesday, Speaker Ghimire proposed operating the parliament on all days except Saturdays and public holidays to cope with the pressure of pre-budget discussions and to give priority to the important bills. “It is the responsibility of the parliament to pass the School Education Bill with urgency. Teachers have taken to the streets in protest, but the act must be brought to the House. Once the committee’s report is tabled, we will place it on the calendar and begin the legislative process immediately,” he said.
The subcommittee responsible for the School Education Bill had committed to submitting its report by April 23, just two days before the session opens, while the Federal Civil Service Bill is also expected to be brought from the committee soon. Speaker Ghimire stressed the need to work around technical limitations brought on by the tight legislative calendar and the demands of the upcoming national budget.
Despite a heavy workload and growing scrutiny, leaders from the ruling coalition are expressing optimism.
Mahesh Kumar Bartaula, Chief Whip of the CPN-UML, sounded confident that the budget session would be different. “The government and parliament will bring a very good budget which will be economically beneficial for the Nepali people. We will give first priority to passing the School Education Bill and the Civil Service Bill. These laws are the foundation for federalism. Along with them, we are aiming to pass at least half a dozen other important bills,” he said.
Bartaula also called upon opposition parties to set aside political differences in the interest of progress. “The opposition should help and not obstruct the session on petty issues,” he said.
Likewise, Krishna Bahadur Rokaya, Chief Whip of the Nepali Congress at the National Assembly, agreed that this session offers a crucial opportunity to restore legislative momentum. “We lost valuable time in the winter session. We must make up for that now. The people expect us to act, and we must deliver, especially on the Civil Service and Education bills. The delay has already affected governance and public trust. This session must set that right,” he said.
Rokaya also affirmed that, as the upcoming session is dedicated to the national budget, it would be thoroughly discussed in the House. “The budget will focus on strengthening the country's economy and improving the livelihoods of the people,” he said.
But not everyone is convinced that the upcoming session will meet the expectations.
Rupa So. Si. (Chaudhary), Whip of the CPN (Maoist Centre) at the National Assembly, voiced sharp criticism over both the timing and the government’s approach.
“This budget session is going to take place under an extremely tight schedule. There will be little space to discuss major issues meaningfully. Rushing through bills without debate is not parliamentary success, it is negligence,” she said.
She also pointed to the ongoing protests by schoolteachers across the country, which have now entered their 23rd day, as a sign of the government’s indifference. “The government should be responsible towards parliament and the people. The teachers’ demands should be heard and resolved, not ignored,” said Chaudhary.
As a member of the opposition, Chaudhary warned that her party would not stay silent if the government fails to act responsibly. “If the ruling coalition brings a budget that doesn’t serve the interests of ordinary Nepalis, or if it neglects lawmaking again, we will speak out. We are not here to rubber-stamp incompetency,” she said.
The stakes are undeniably high. Nepal’s transition to federalism, enshrined in the 2015 Constitution, remains incomplete in the absence of enabling legislation. The School Education Bill is intended to devolve powers to local and provincial governments, allowing them to manage schools according to local needs. Without it, confusion and conflict persist across districts. The Civil Service Bill, on the other hand, is crucial for staffing sub-national governments with a permanent bureaucracy, something that has been missing for nearly a decade.
Constitutional expert Kashi Raj Dahal warned that federalism will be at risk of failure if formulation of important laws is delayed continuously. “The Civil Service Bill is fundamental to the functioning of federal governance. Without it, local and provincial governments cannot operate independently or effectively,” he said.
The winter session lasted over 60 days but produced just nine bills, five of which were ordinances. The frustration was palpable among citizens and civil society alike. The budget session now carries the burden of those lost opportunities and a rare chance to course-correct.
For citizens like Pushpa Nepal, a public schoolteacher from Kalaiya, who has been staging in Kathmandu since early April, the time for promises has long passed.
“We are tired of waiting. All we ask for is dignity, security, and a clear policy so we can focus on teaching. If lawmakers can’t even pass a basic law for schools, what are they doing in parliament?” she said.
The meeting of the Business Advisory Committee on April 23 approved Speaker Ghimire’s proposal to extend parliament’s working days, signaling an institutional effort to meet deadlines.
The top party leaders, including Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, are likely to address the meeting on the first day on Friday. According to spokesperson for the Federal Parliament Secretariat Ekram Giri, though the schedule has not included the list of top leaders addressing the session on Friday, practice has it that the key leaders deliver speech on the first day of the session.
