Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: Shram Sanskriti Party (SSP), the fifth-largest force in the House of Representatives, has opposed a proposal to allow lawmakers to appoint personal secretaries.
SSP Chairperson Harka Raj Rai, widely known as Harka Sampang, wrote in a social media post on Wednesday that he was against allowing lawmakers to appoint personal secretaries. “I oppose the decision to allow lawmakers to appoint personal secretaries,” he wrote. “Even if each is paid a monthly salary of Rs 30,000, the total cost would reach Rs 8.25 million per month, Rs 99 million per year, and Rs 495 million over five years.”
Members of federal parliament as well as provincial assemblies had been enjoying the facility of personal assistants before the interim government led by Sushila Karki scrapped the position as part of its cost-cutting measures.
However, the Federal Parliament Secretariat Operation and Management Committee has now moved forward with a process to reinstate the provision.
A meeting of the committee held on Monday under the chairmanship of Speaker Dol Prasad Aryal decided to recommend that the government proceed with setting qualifications and systematizing the appointment of personal secretaries for office-bearers and members of the federal parliament.
