KATHMANDU: The Federal Parliament Secretariat Management and Operation Committee has initiated the process to reinstate the personal secretary facility for Members of Parliament (MPs).
During a meeting held on Monday, the committee decided to recommend that the government establish specific qualifications and systematic procedures for the appointment of personal secretaries for parliamentary officials and members.
The meeting, chaired by Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal, concluded with a decision to write to the Ministry of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs to make the necessary legal arrangements.
High-level participants included National Assembly Chairman Narayan Prasad Dahal, Deputy Speaker Ruby Kumari Thakur, National Assembly Vice-Chairperson Lila Kumari Bhandari, and the General Secretary and Secretaries of the Federal Parliament.
The personal secretary positions were previously abolished by the interim government led by Sushila Karki as part of an austerity drive to cut unproductive spending. At that time, the government had amended the schedule of the Act Relating to Remuneration and Facilities of Officials and Members of the Federal Parliament, 2016, to remove the provision.
That decision had met with significant dissatisfaction from parliamentary leadership, including then-Speaker Devraj Ghimire, who had formally expressed concerns to the Prime Minister in November 2025.
Section 25 of the 2016 Act allows the government to alter the schedule through a notification in the Nepal Gazette, provided it does not cause undue hardship to the members.
While the previous administration utilized this power to cut costs, the current parliamentary management committee has concluded that restoring the positions is necessary for the effective functioning of lawmakers. The move signals a reversal of one of the key fiscal measures implemented during the transitional period of 2026.
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