The Constitution amendment bill brought to change the coat of arms in accordance to the new map will not be submitted to the House of Representatives (HoR) on Wednesday.
The proposed schedule prepared by the parliament secretariat had mentioned that Law Minister Shiva Maya Tungbahamphe will present the bill. But the issue has been removed from the business schedule before start of the meeting Wednesday.
Sridhar Neupane, press advisor to Speaker Agni Sapkota, confirmed with Setopati that the issue has been removed from the schedule.
The government generally provides businesses to the parliament which are included in the business schedule.
Prime Minister (PM) KP Sharma Oli had called an all-party meeting Tuesday evening to discuss Constitution amendment bill. The government has decided to not immediately move the bill forward after the main opposition (Nepali Congress) during the meeting said it will convene a central committee meeting to decide on the issue and sought time.
The amendment bill would have been published in newspapers for public information if it were presented to the House today as is required for Constitution amendment.
The government has registered the Constitution amendment bill to amend the schedule of the Constitution, wherein the map in the coat of arms does not include the territory including Limpiyadhura, to implement the new map.
Constitution amendment requires two-third majority of the House. The ruling CPN is just short of two-third majority but the main opposition Nepali Congress (NC) has already pledged to support the amendment.
Madhes-based parties, Rastriya Janata Party Nepal (RJP) and Socialist Party Nepal, have been saying the government should also include their demands for Constitution amendment while amending it for implementation of the new map.
The government last Wednesday published the new map including Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura. The territorial area of Nepal has increased by 335 square kilometers with inclusion of the territory up to Limpyadhura.
The government on May 18 passed the new map including Kalapani, Lipu Lekh and Limpiyadhura.
Inauguration of the Indian road via Lipu Lekh on May 8 has been widely criticized by the ruling and opposition parties alike.
The Foreign Ministry has already expressed regret over the unilateral construction and urged India to refrain from carrying out any activity inside the territory of Nepal. It then summoned the Indian Ambassador to Nepal Vinay Mohan Kwatra and handed a diplomatic note conveying Nepal's position on the issue.
Nepal has consistently maintained that as per the Sugauli Treaty (1816), all the territories east of Kali (Mahakali) River, including Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh, belong to Nepal.
Nepal had also expressed its disagreement in 2015 through separate diplomatic notes addressed to the governments of both India and China when the two sides agreed to include Lipu Lekh Pass as a bilateral trade route without Nepal’s consent in the Joint Statement issued on 15 May 2015 during the official visit of the Prime Minister of India to China.
