The Social Development and Agriculture Committee of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly has been without a leader since May 30 after Chairman Phanindra Devkota became a minister. A committee meeting is held under the leadership of senior Congress member Mahendra Dhwaj GC. After 10 months to elect a new chairman, the Gandaki Provincial Assembly Rules, 2080 have been amended.

The provincial assembly meeting on Tuesday passed the amendment draft of the regulations by a majority vote after the weekly discussion.  Rule 157 (5) of the

regulation stipulates that elections should be held within 15 days of the chairman becoming vacant, so it has been amended. Last June, after the issue of government formation reached the Supreme Court, the election of the chairman of the parliamentary committee could not be held on time. After the dispute was resolved by the Supreme Court, on June 16, Devkota, a member of the Nepal Samajwadi Party, became a minister for the second time. After that, the amendment was made after the rules became an obstacle to electing the chairman.  A four-member amendment draft committee was formed on August 26 to revise the

regulations. Committee member Congress MP Prakash Baral informed that the rule 157 (5) has been amended to remove obstacles so that the election of the chairman of the committee can be done once within 30 days. In addition, the quorum for holding committee meetings and the number required for decision-making have also been revised. 

In rule 164 of the rules before the amendment, a quarter of the number of the committee is considered as a quorum to hold a meeting. Rule 166 provides that a decision can be taken by the majority of the committee members. By amending the provision that a quarter of MPs can hold a meeting but cannot make a decision, the provision that the majority is considered a quorum has been amended. Now, even if the majority of the committee members is required to hold the meeting, the majority of the number present will be enough to make the decision. 

The Congress is leading the Economic Development Committee and the Provincial Affairs and Law Committee out of four of the Gandaki State Assembly. The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee is with the ruling UML. UML wants to take social development and agriculture committee. The ruling party has agreed to give one committee out of four to the Maoists. 

There was a discussion within the UML about giving the Public Accounts Committee to the Maoists and making the Chairman of the Accounts Committee, Sudhir Kumar Paudel, the Chairman of the Agriculture Committee. However, after receiving no instructions from party leader Khagraj Adhikari, Paudel remains as chairman of the audit committee. I am still the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. Not resigned. No such instructions have come from the party leader," said Paudel.

Tuesday's parliament meeting passed the provision that the chairman can be elected within a month, and the agriculture committee should decide on the chairman within May 26. 

member's responsibilities change

The provincial assembly's meeting on Tuesday has changed the committee members' responsibilities. 

UML party leader Khagraj Adhikari has been nominated from the Public Accounts Committee to the State Affairs and Law Committee, UML Chief Whip Gobind Bahadur Nepali from the Law Committee to the Accounts Committee, UML MP Ved Bahadur Gurung from the Social Development and Agriculture Committee to the Accounts Committee, UML's Rajkumari Bhujel from the Social Development Committee to the Law Committee and Congress MP Dilliram Subedi from the Finance and Development Committee to the Law Committee.