Vote counting in the House of Representatives (HoR) elections held on March 5 has concluded. A total of 275 members of parliament (MPs) will be selected for the HoR, consisting of 165 through the first-past-the-post electoral system and 110 from the proportional representation (PR) system.
Many new and young MPs have been elected this time. Following the Gen Z Movement on September 8, the public voted for young candidates in the election. Consequently, the majority of individuals are entering the HoR for the first time. Some MPs belong to the Gen Z age group, meaning they are under 28.
What Facilities Do MPs Receive?
MPs coming to Kathmandu for the first time after being elected receive reimbursement for their travel expenses (airplane or bus tickets). However, they must submit their tickets to the Parliament Secretariat for this. For example, if MP Gyanendra Shahi of Jumla presents flight tickets for traveling from Jumla to Nepalgunj and Nepalgunj to Kathmandu, he will receive an amount equal to what is on those tickets.
However, if MP Sudhan Gurung, who won from Gorkha, goes to Pokhara to catch a plane to Kathmandu, he will not receive the airfare. He will only receive an amount equal to the public vehicle fare. The Parliament Secretariat provides expenses based on the distance and usage from the specific constituency to the nearest airport.
MPs also receive money for food and snacks while traveling to Kathmandu. They can receive up to Rs 2,500 per day for such expenses. An MP receives this expense for only two and a half days, meaning they get Rs 6,250 rupees.
Individuals elected as MPs are also provided with furniture expenses for the first time. An MP receives this amount only once every five years, and the amount is only Rs 15,000. MPs can buy any necessary furniture; the Secretariat provides enough money to buy a sofa, a computer table, or a chair.
Similarly, MPs who do not own a house in the Kathmandu Valley receive a rent allowance. This rent amount is Rs 18,000, which MPs receive monthly. However, MPs who have a house in Kathmandu receive only Rs 9,000 monthly for maintenance. MPs receive Rs 3,000 to pay mobile bills and purchase newspapers or read online subscriptions. They receive Rs 2,000 to pay for electricity and water.
In addition, MPs receive a monthly salary of Rs 66,070. A special allowance of Rs 1,000 is also provided. Furthermore, on days when a parliamentary committee or parliament meeting is held, MPs receive a meeting allowance of Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,000 for vehicle fare. If parliament runs for 15 days in a month, the MPs receive Rs 30,000. However, if the parliament and a parliamentary committee meet on the same day, they do not receive double allowances or vehicle facilities.
In short, an MP who has a house outside Kathmandu receives roughly Rs 90,000 in salary and facilities during times when parliament is not meeting continuously. For MPs with a house in Kathmandu, this facility is Rs 9,000 less. Only when parliament and parliamentary committee meetings run continuously do the services and facilities received by MPs exceed Rs 100,000.
However, political parties have been collecting a levy from their MPs. Once the leader of the parliamentary party sends a letter requesting the deduction of the levy to be deposited into the party's account, the Parliament Secretariat deducts this amount from the salary and transfers it accordingly.
For example, in the previous HoR, RSP used to collect a levy of Rs 16,500 rupees from each MP every month. That amount was deposited directly into the party's account. If RSP maintains this same levy for the members of the new HoR, Rs 3.003 will be deposited into the RSP's account every month. Generally, par-ties collect levies ranging between Rs 10,000-20,000.
Until now, MPs have not been provided with any office space or rooms within the Parliament Secretariat. There are preparations to build at least one working desk for MPs in the new parliament building currently under construction.
The government led by Sushila Karki has abolished the facility of a Personal Secretary (equivalent to an officer level) for MPs. If the government wishes to allow MPs to have a Personal Secretary again, the Act Relating to Remuneration and Facilities of Office Bearers and Members of the Federal Parliament would need to be amended.
Although the provision for an officer-level Personal Secretary was made to make the work of MPs effective, many MPs used to appoint relatives as secretaries and collect the salary themselves. Following the Gen Z Movement, the government formed thereafter removed this facility, citing the misuse of Personal Secretaries. However, some MPs protested the removal of Personal Secretaries, arguing they are helpful for study and research.
The Parliament Secretariat does not provide any laptops or computers to MPs. Bills introduced by the government in parliament are placed in a small "pigeon hole" shaped like a dove's nest. Such a pigeon hole is created in the name of every MP. Once a bill is registered and placed in an MP's pigeon hole, it is understood that the MP has received it.
MPs can receive a government email on the "parliament domain" if necessary. However, in the past, many MPs have not used such official emails. When MPs need to go abroad for government or parliamentary work, they receive a red passport based on necessity. This diplomatic passport makes it easier for them to travel domestically and internationally without hassle at immigration.
