Nepal’s upper house endorses proposal

Kathmandu: Nepal Parliament’s upper house on Sunday endorsed a proposal to discuss the Constitution amendment bill to update the country’s new political map that includes three strategically key Indian territories, a day after the lower house unanimously voted in favour of the bill.
Nepal’s ruling and opposition political parties on Saturday voted in unison to amend the Constitution to update the national emblem by incorporating the controversial map incorporating Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura in India’s Uttrakhand, a move described by New Delhi as “untenable.” Of the total 275 lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Saturday, all 258 lawmakers present in the house voted in favour of the Constitution amendment bill.
Now, the bill will undergo a similar process in the National Assembly, wherein the ruling Nepal Communist Party commands two-thirds majority.
Rajendra Phuyal, secretary of the National Assembly Secretariat, tabled the bill at the first meeting of the upper house on Sunday, The Kathmandu Post reported.
During the second meeting of the National Assembly later on Sunday, Law Minister Shiva Maya Tumbahangphe tabled a proposal to consider the bill for discussions, the paper said.
After the discussions, the proposal to consider the bill was unanimously endorsed, it added.
The National Assembly will give lawmakers 72 hours to move amendments against the bill’s provisions, if they have any.”We are making necessary preparations to endorse the bill within the next four days, Phuyal was quoted as saying by the paper. (PTI)