The Federal Parliament Secretariat is preparing to procure 11 additional vehicles for chairpersons of the parliamentary committees. The Secretariat on May 15 had issued tender for procurement of the vehicles.
According to the Secretariat sources, the Finance Ministry has allocated Rs 77 million to procure 11 vehicles and two disability-friendly motorcycles within this fiscal year.
"As the chairpersons have demanded new vehicles stating that their vehicles are not functioning properly, the Finance Ministry allocated the budget on a special request of Speaker of the House of Representative (HoR) Krishna Bahadur Mahara," a source told Setopati.
Five chairpersons of parliamentary committees received Scorpio jeeps only a month ago. Chairpersons of Public Accounts Committee, Education and Population Committee, Development and Technology Committee, Commerce and Industry Committee, and Labor and Consumers Welfare Committee under the HoR, and Sustainable Development Committee under the National Assembly had received new vehicles.
"The new vehicles will be given to 11 chairpersons," Secretariat source said, "The operating vehicles are not in that bad a state but there is always a chance that these vehicles might break down while going out of the Kathmandu Valley."
Chairperson of the International Relation Committee Pabitra Niraula (Kharel) admitted that she demanded a new vehicle as her current vehicle is not working properly. She also complained that her vehicle broke down twice while visiting Jhapa.
"My vehicle stopped working before reaching Lahan. How many times do I need to use this vehicle by repairing? It's not possible for me to walk to reach destination," Kharel told Setopati.
The Parliament Secretariat has 89 vehicles. The Secretariat has also forwarded the procedure of purchasing 334 laptops after the Finance Ministry promised to purchase them for the lawmakers.
