The government has decided to recommend the budget session for May 17.

“Today’s Cabinet meeting decided to recommend the President to call the meeting of both the houses of the federal parliament at 4pm on May 17,” said Sashi Shrestha, minister for land reforms, cooperatives and poverty alleviation.

As per the constitutional provision, the government will have to present the annual budget for the new fiscal year on May 29.

Before the budget, the government needs to present its policies and programmes. At least 15 days prior to the budget presentation, pre-budget discussions need to be held but this time it will have less than two weeks for discussions.

On May 1, House Speaker Agni Sapkota met with Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba to discuss the dates for the budget session.

The previous KP Sharma Oli led-government had brought the budget last year through an ordinance which was later amended by Deuba’s government.

As per the constitution, the President summons the House sessions at the recommendation of the Council of Ministers.

The President prorogued the 10th session of the federal Parliament parliament on March 15.

The session had remained largely dysfunctional with the main opposition CPN-UML continued obstructing by protesting against the Speaker since August last year.

The position of the main opposition has not been changed yet.

UML has been obstructing the House saying the Speaker supported their party split by refusing to take action against 14 revolting UML lawmakers until they formed a new party.

However, during this session, the Millennium Challenge Corporation Nepal Compact—the $500 million US grant–was endorsed after a long dispute among the parties. The compact was endorsed with majority votes amid chanting of slogans against the Speaker by the UML.

In the 92 days of the tenth session of the lower house that began on December 14, only 11 meetings were held and it also formed an 11-member impeachment recommendation committee to study the allegations against Chief Justice Cholendra Shumsher Rana.

With the prorogation of the House without the impeachment recommendation committee presenting its report, party leaders said the ruling parties were trying to linger the impeachment motion against the chief justice as that won’t be endorsed without the support of the main opposition.

Dozens of important bills are languishing in the Federal Parliament including the bills to amend the Citizenship Act, Federal Civil Service, Federal Police Service, Federal Education and Public Service Commission are some of the crucial ones awaiting parliamentary endorsement.