Toothless committees

The dysfunctionality of the parliamentary committees of provincial assemblies is concerning.

Provincial assembly parliamentary committees are pivotal to strengthening federalism in Nepal. These committees work to hold provincial governments accountable. Even when the assembly is not in session, the committees can continue working. As the provincial assemblies cannot manage all the tasks, these committees , with various thematic jurisdiction and expertise, work by often rising above partisan interest to save the parliament’s time; they simplify work and conduct various studies. Article 193 of the Constitution of Nepal specifies that “the State Assembly may, as per its rules, form committees or special committees, as required, to manage its working procedures”. Thus, the number of thematic areas varies in each province.