KATHMANDU: The winter session of the Federal Parliament, which commenced amid controversy, has concluded with significant legislative activity.

President Ram Chandra Poudel ended the session at midnight on Tuesday, following a recommendation from the Council of Ministers.

The decision to conclude the session was made in a cabinet meeting on Monday, reinforcing the executive’s influence over parliamentary proceedings.

Earlier, President Poudel had convened the winter session on January 31, acting on a prior recommendation from the Council of Ministers.

This decision followed public criticism accusing the government of attempting to bypass the parliamentary process by exercising executive authority through ordinances.

The government, led by a coalition of CPN-UML and Nepali Congress, had already recommended multiple ordinances to the President during the parliamentary recess.

Among the key ordinances proposed, the ‘Ordinance to Amend Certain Nepal Acts Relating to Cooperatives, 2081’ was recommended on December 24 and issued on January 10.

Subsequently, on December 24, the government forwarded five additional ordinances to the President, covering various aspects such as governance, fiscal responsibility, privatization, economic and business reforms, and land regulations.

President Poudel issued four of these on December 29, with the land-related ordinance being issued separately on January 2 after further review.

During the winter session, the government formally submitted all six ordinances to the House of Representatives. Five of these were approved, while the land-related ordinance faced resistance from coalition partners Janata Samajwadi Party Nepal and Loktantrik Samajwadi Party.

Following internal discussions, it was decided that the land ordinance would not be pursued further.

Over the 61-day session, which lasted from January 31 to April 1, 2025, the House of Representatives convened 27 times across 25 days, accumulating 118 hours and 21 minutes of parliamentary activity.

During this period, twelve government bills and one non-government bill were registered. Five bills successfully passed through both houses, while four remain under committee review, and three await presentation.

Additionally, a non-government bill addressing discrimination based on caste, color, region, dress, nationality, or origin is currently in the registration process. Among previously pending bills, the ‘Constitutional Council (Works, Duties, and Procedures) (First Amendment) Bill’ was unanimously passed on Chaitra 18.

Despite political turbulence and allegations of executive overreach, the winter session concluded with notable legislative progress, reinforcing the role of parliamentary oversight in governance.

Similarly, the Secretariat has informed that the report of the committee on the ‘Water Resources Bill’ has been presented in the Assembly, while the ‘Banking Offences and Punishment (Second Amendment) Bill’ has been withdrawn from the National Assembly and tabled in the House of Representatives.

According to the Secretariat, eight bills remain under consideration in the concerned committees.

The ‘Human Body Burn Control and Punishment Bill’ is still in the registration process. Meanwhile, the government withdrew the ‘Financial Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility (First Amendment) Bill, 2081’ with the consent of the meeting.

During the current session, four bills originating from the National Assembly were received in the House of Representatives.

Of these, two are under committee review. After the completion of theoretical discussions on the ‘Nepal Bar Council (First Amendment) Bill,’ the ‘Tilganga Netra University Bill’ has now been presented in the House of Representatives.

In the fifth session, four out of the seven bills received from the National Assembly in the previous session were passed and returned.

The Parliament Secretariat has confirmed that the committee’s report on the ‘Shahid Dashrath Chand University of Health Sciences Bill’ has been submitted to the House of Representatives.

Additionally, the ‘Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (Third Amendment) Bill’ is currently under committee review. The ‘National Dignity Bill’ has been introduced in the House but has yet to progress further, according to the Secretariat.

Nine Bills Certified by the President

The winter session of Parliament, often referred to as the “Bill Session,” saw the certification of nine bills by the President, which were passed by both houses on various dates.

President Poudel certified replacement bills for five ordinances that had been approved and submitted by both houses of the Federal Parliament.

All five ordinances were certified following their passage, in accordance with Article 113, Clause 2 of the Constitution.

Certified Ordinance Replacement Bills:

A bill to amend certain Nepal Acts related to the promotion of good governance and delivery of public services.

A bill to amend certain Nepal Acts related to cooperatives.

A bill to amend the Economic Procedures and Fiscal Responsibility Act, 2076.

A bill to amend certain Nepal Acts related to improving the economic and business environment and promoting investment.

A bill to amend the Privatization Act, 2050.

A bill to amend the Secure Transactions Act, 2063.

A bill to make provisions regarding electronic commerce (e-commerce).

A bill to make provisions regarding legislation.

A bill to amend the Prevention of Corruption Act, 2059.

No Pre-Budget Discussion

In previous winter sessions, discussions on the principles and priorities of the upcoming fiscal year’s budget (pre-budget discussions) were introduced.

It was anticipated that similar discussions would take place this session, but the government did not appear inclined to proceed with them.

During the tenure of the previous government, then-Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal ‘Prachanda’ had introduced an ordinance on economic procedures and fiscal responsibility, which mandated pre-budget discussions in parliament three months in advance.

However, the current government, led by KP Sharma Oli, has reversed this provision and reinstated the prior practice of holding pre-budget discussions only 15 days before the budget announcement.

As per constitutional requirements, the national budget must be presented on Jestha 15.

With the passage of the ordinance replacement bill by both houses and its certification by President Poudel, it has been ensured that pre-budget discussions will take place 15 days before Jestha 15.