The ministries are preparing drafts of 45 bills to be submitted to the federal parliament in the upcoming budget session of the parliament. The Law Ministry is preparing the most drafts of 10 bills. As the government plans to present more than a hundred bills in the budget session, the ministries are doing their homework in preparing drafts of other bills. 

When Kantipur reached the Law Ministry on Wednesday, Law Secretary Parashwar Dhungana was holding a 'briefing' with the joint secretaries carrying a long list of drafts to be prepared. The joint secretaries were informing him about the progress of the draft preparation of which bill and whether any problems had arisen during the drafting process. The secretaries themselves were contacting the ministries that had not received information.

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has asked the government to prepare drafts of bills that are difficult to work on and are urgently needed in the first phase. Accordingly, Law Minister Sobita Gautam has instructed on Wednesday to prepare drafts of 45 bills within a week. Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Pratibha Rawal herself is working every day to draft the Federal Civil Service Bill. Secretaries of all ministries and employees of the law branch are busy discussing the draft bill.

The first meeting of the Shah-led Council of Ministers on Chaitra 13 had brought a '100 agenda of government reforms'. However, since legal complications were seen for most of the tasks mentioned in the agenda, the government has given priority to new laws and amendments. 

Prime Minister Balendra Shah has asked the government to prepare drafts of bills that are difficult to work on and are needed immediately. Law Minister Gautam had called the Chief Secretary and secretaries a few days ago and asked for ministry-wise details of laws that are urgently needed, those needed in the long term, and those needed for the implementation of the constitution. She had also requested the ministers to inform the Law Ministry about the necessary laws immediately and to prepare the draft in coordination. 

After the request of Law Minister Gautam, the ministries had provided a list of bills that were in the process of being drafted so that they could be submitted to the federal parliament in the first phase. On that basis, Law Secretary Dhungana informed that the Law Ministry has prepared a list of about 45 bills. ‘45 bills are being drafted in various ministries. We are following up,’ he said. 

The Law Ministry is drafting bills such as the Federal Parliament Secretariat Act Amendment Bill, the Criminal Offences (Sentence Determination and Implementation) Act Amendment Bill, free legal aid, and a bill to amend the rape case made by the Law Minister as the first decision to be heard on a fast track. 

The government has also prioritized the Constitutional Council, public procurement, and federal civil service bills. The government is preparing to bring an ordinance if possible to move forward with these three bills immediately. Even if the government brings them in the form of an ordinance, the draft is being prepared as a replacement bill will have to be presented in the first subsequent parliament session. 

According to a government minister, there is a plan to submit 40-45 bills in the first phase. In the second phase, there are preparations to submit bills that could not be passed by the parliament earlier. ‘In the third phase, there is a plan to repeal bills that hinder the government from working, to draft new ones and to proceed with the drafting of laws specified in the constitution as federal laws,’ the minister said. 

Even though the government introduced it in the form of an ordinance, a replacement bill has to be submitted in the first subsequent parliament session, so the draft is being prepared. The government is preparing to proceed with the bills that became inactive after the dissolution of the previous House of Representatives through a new process. In the past, there was a provision that approval had to be obtained from the Council of Ministers to redraft a bill to proceed with an inactive bill. The government has decided that the relevant ministry can submit an inactive bill directly to the Office of the Council of Ministers. However, there is a provision that the process within the ministry must be completed before taking the bill to the Council of Ministers and that the draft must be made public and the public’s opinion must be sought within at least seven days. 

The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration has stated that it is working on the ‘Bill to make provisions regarding the formation, operation and conditions of service of the Federal Civil Service’. This bill was stalled in the dissolved House of Representatives after reaching the final stage. The Ministry of Women, Children and Senior Citizens is moving a bill on human trafficking and smuggling control. This bill was also stalled in the dissolved House of Representatives. 

The Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation is working on the Nepal Civil Aviation Authority Bill and the Nepal Air Services Authority Bill. Both bills were dormant after the dissolution of the previous House of Representatives. The bill to amend the constitution will be worked on only after the report of the ‘Constitution Amendment Working Group’ formed under the leadership of the Prime Minister’s political advisor. 

The Ministry of Finance, Agriculture and Livestock Development, Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, and Physical Infrastructure and Transport are preparing drafts of 3 bills each. The Prime Minister's Office, the Ministry of Energy, Defense and Forests and the Ministry of Environment, Labor, Employment and Social Security, Federal Affairs and General Administration, Communication and Information Technology and Urban Development are drafting 2 bills each. Similarly, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies, Home, Drinking Water, Foreign Affairs, Women, Children and Senior Citizens, Education and Health are working on 1 bill each in the first phase. 

Once the draft is ready, it is placed on the ministry's website for public suggestions. After receiving suggestions, the draft is finalized after taking the opinion of the Ministry of Law and Finance. Then it is sent to the Council of Ministers. The Council of Ministers' Bill Committee discusses it and prepares a report. Based on that report, it is approved by the Council of Ministers and sent to the Parliament. 

It is not certain when the next session of Parliament will begin. As per the recommendation made by the Council of Ministers on 8 Baisakh, President Ram Chandra Poudel had called the session of the Federal Parliament from 17 Baisakh. On Thursday, the Council of Ministers again recommended the postponement of the sessions of both houses of the Federal Parliament. Accordingly, the session has been postponed. 

The government's policy and program will be presented at the beginning of the upcoming session. After that, the 'pre-budget' will be discussed. There is a constitutional provision to bring the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 083/84 on 15 Jestha. The government is prepared to move the bill forward immediately in the budget session. The government understands that there will be no problem moving the bill forward since the ruling Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has about two-thirds of the seats in the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives has the right to include or not include any suggestions made by the National Assembly in the bill sent by the House of Representatives. Therefore, the government is now in a position to prepare a bill that suits its needs.

–Bill to amend the Public Procurement Act, 2063

– Constitutional Council Act Amendment Bill

– Nepal Rastra Bank Act, 2058

– Bill to amend the Employees Provident Fund Act, 2019

– Bill to amend the Citizen Investment Fund Act, 2047

– Bill on Export and Import

– Water Resources Bill

– Renewable Energy Bill

– Bill to amend the Law on Reconciliation

– Bill to amend the Civil Code, 2074

– Bill to amend the Civil Code of Nepal, 2074

– Bill to amend the Civil Code of Nepal, 2074

– Bill to amend the Civil Code of Nepal, 2074

– Bill to amend the Civil Code of Nepal, 2074

– Bill to amend the Criminal Offences (Determination and Implementation of Punishment) Act, Bill to amend 2074

– Free Legal Aid Bill

– Federal Parliament Secretariat Act, 2064 Amendment Bill

– Remuneration and Facilities of Officers and Members of the Federal Parliament Act, 2073  Amendment Bill

– Act to amend the Remuneration, Conditions of Service and Facilities of the Secretary General of the Federal Parliament, Secretary of the House of Representatives and Secretary of the National Assembly, 2075 Amendment Bill

– Agriculture Bill

– Bill to make provisions regarding the control of infectious animal diseases

– Bill to amend the Animal Health and Animal Services Act, 2055

– Bill to amend the Drinking Water and Sanitation Act, 2079

– Bill to amend and consolidate immigration laws

– Bill to amend the Passport Act 

– Bill to make provisions on vehicles and transportation

– Bill to make provisions on road safety

– Bill to make provisions on the formation of the Diploma Engineering Council

– Bill to amend the Human Trafficking and Trafficking (Control Act, 2064)

– Bill to make provisions on the National Service Corps

– Bill to establish, operate and manage the National Defense University

– Bill to amend the Environmental Protection Act, 2076

– Bill to amend the Forest Act, 2076

– Bill to amend and consolidate the laws relating to technical and practical education and skills. Development

– Bill to make provisions on child labor (prohibition and regularization)

– Foreign Employment (First Amendment) Bill

– Bill to amend and consolidate the laws relating to the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, 2082

– Bill to establish and manage Nepal Civil Service Authority, 2082

– Bill to make provisions regarding liability and insurance of domestic air service operating organizations, 2082

– Bill to make provisions regarding formation, operation and conditions of service of Federal Civil Service

– Bill to amend Local Government Operation Act, 2074

– Bill on Information Technology

– Bill on Cyber ​​Security

– Bill to amend and consolidate the law on Municipal Development Fund