SUDURPASHCHIM: Further proceedings on the Sudurpaschim Province Local Services (Formation and Operation) First Amendment Bill 2082 have been halted after ruling parties failed to reach a consensus.
Although the amendment bill, prepared to revise several disputed provisions of the Act, was tabled in the Provincial Assembly some time ago, disagreement among coalition partners has stalled progress. As a result, regular meetings of the ongoing session of the Provincial Assembly have been adjourned until further notice.
Speaker Bhim Bahadur Bhandari said vested interests have dominated the process, preventing further action on the amendment bill. The Act became controversial after disgruntled employees filed cases in court, arguing that its implementation benefited only a limited group of staff.
The Provincial Assembly Secretariat said the court has issued an interim order directing authorities to suspend implementation of the Act for the time being.
Head of the Legislation Branch at the Secretariat, Bhuri Prakash Joshi, said the dispute arose due to careless lawmaking without adequate study. He explained that Section 9 of the Act included provisions that effectively made senior employees junior and junior employees senior, triggering dissatisfaction.
Several employees across various provincial services had already been promoted under the Act. However, less than a year after its implementation, the government initiated efforts to amend it. Although the amendment is being aligned with federal law, uncertainty remains over advancing further action immediately, Joshi added.
Sudurpashchim Province is currently governed by a coalition of the Nepali Congress and the CPN-UML.
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