The parliament secretariat has rejected the request of the cross party lawmakers to hold virtual meetings of the House committees, saying the existing law as well as technological constraints do not allow it to conduct such meetings.

Amid growing criticism over the government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the lawmakers had suggested holding virtual meetings of parliamentary committees to discuss the issues concerning the disease and its preparedness.

Baburam Bhattarai, chairperson of Samajbadi Party Nepal, had held a virtual meeting with Finance Committee Chair Krishna Prasad Dahal on Friday about the need to call a remote meeting to evaluate the measures the government has taken to combat Covid-19. Bhattarai had also proposed holding a budget discussion for the upcoming fiscal year.

The national budget for the fiscal year 2020/21 will be presented before the federal parliament on May 29.

Dahal had called the meeting of the panel for Wednesday was later cancelled at the instruction of Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota .

“We have postponed our meeting called for Wednesday after the Speaker said it was not possible to hold a virtual meeting now,” Dahal told the Post. “We have asked to find a way out. We are expecting that the secretariat will come out with a solution.”

The Speaker has called a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee on Tuesday to discuss the ways to hold meetings of the House committees.

Nepali Congress lawmaker Gagan Thapa had also proposed holding the meeting of the Education and Health Committee to discuss about the government’s current actions in dealing with the pandemic.

However, the officials in the parliament secretariat said it was not possible to hold the formal meetings virtually. They, however, said that there can be informal discussions among the lawmakers.

Gopal Nath Yogi, acting general secretary of the parliament secretariat, said there were different factors that stood as hurdles to holding virtual meetings.

First, there is no provision regarding virtual meetings in the existing regulations of Parliament; second, the federal parliament is not equipped with the technology for such meetings; and third, there is a concern regarding security and privacy.

“The authenticity of the decisions taken through virtual meetings could be questioned in the lack of regulation in place,” Yogi told the Post.
He added that the free versions of the software to hold the virtual meetings like Zoom were available only for half an hour and it would take time if the secretariat decided to purchase a software.

“We can rather hold meetings in person by maintaining safe distance among the lawmakers,” Yogi said.

With no immediate possibility of holding formal meetings, the Health and Education Committee has convened an informal video conference session with its members on Tuesday.

“We are told there cannot be formal meetings but we can still discuss informally about the ongoing tests and treatment the government is providing to prevent a major outbreak of Covid-19,” Jaya Puri Gharti, chairperson of committee, told the Post.

President Bidya Devi Bhandari prorogued the winter session of the federal parliament starting April 6 following the government’s recommendation. However, the meeting of the House committees, which act like mini parliament, could be held to hold the government to account.

Different decisions of the KP Sharma Oli government from procurement of the medical equipment through a private company to authorisation of purchasing rights to the Nepal Army have landed in controversy.

The Public Accounts Committee has already received a number of complaints about possible irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment, and the government’s intention to award the new procurement deal to the Army.

However, the House committees are sitting idle saying they are not in a position to hold their meetings.