Lawmakers should be given personal secretaries and stronger institutional support to improve parliamentary performance, National Independent Party Joint General Secretary and Dang constituency lawmaker Bipin Kumar Acharya said during Thursday’s meeting of the House of Representatives.
The remarks came during discussions on the government’s policy and programme, where Acharya argued that parliamentarians are expected to handle highly complex legal and policy matters without sufficient institutional support. He also proposed a digital system that would allow citizens to monitor issues raised inside parliament and track government responses.
Acharya said the state spends billions, directly and indirectly, to conduct federal elections, but does not invest enough in strengthening the professional abilities of elected lawmakers after they enter parliament. According to him, the responsibility carried by lawmakers is far greater because parliamentary decisions shape the future of millions of citizens.
Bipin Kumar Acharya Calls for Personal Secretaries for MPs
Addressing the House of Representatives, Bipin Kumar Acharya said lawmakers should be provided with personal secretaries to help them manage legislative, policy and administrative responsibilities more effectively.
He argued that many members of parliament require assistance in understanding legal procedures, parliamentary rules and other multidimensional policy matters regularly discussed inside the chamber.
According to Acharya, lawmakers are expected to make decisions on complicated national issues, yet they often lack the institutional support necessary to perform their responsibilities efficiently.
Following his proposal, lawmakers from his party applauded inside parliament in support of the demand.
Concerns Raised Over Lack of Investment in Lawmakers
Acharya questioned why the government remains reluctant to invest in the professional development and capacity building of lawmakers despite spending enormous public resources on elections.
He said the importance of policymaking carried out by parliament exceeds the financial cost of elections because lawmakers are entrusted with representing the future and interests of millions of citizens.
The lawmaker also suggested that better understanding of parliamentary regulations among elected representatives could help avoid disruptions during parliamentary proceedings.
Referring to recent parliamentary developments, Acharya said clearer guidance on parliamentary rules might have prevented the House from being disrupted.
Demand to Include Capacity Building in Policy and Programme
Bipin Kumar Acharya urged the government to include parliamentary capacity development programmes in the national policy and programme framework.
He said strengthening lawmakers through practical support systems should become part of broader governance reforms.
According to Acharya, the first step should be the provision of personal secretaries for lawmakers, allowing them to focus more effectively on legislative work, policy discussions and public concerns raised in parliament.
He argued that stronger institutional support would ultimately improve the effectiveness of parliament itself.
Parliament Described as Citizens’ Highest Democratic Platform
During his address, Acharya described parliament as the supreme platform where citizens’ voices and concerns are formally represented.
He said some discussions inside parliament may involve political strategy, but most issues raised by lawmakers are directly connected to the daily struggles and concerns of ordinary citizens.
The lawmaker stressed that issues raised in parliament should not remain limited to speeches alone. Instead, he said the state must clearly respond to the concerns brought forward by elected representatives.
According to him, both lawmakers and the public should be able to know whether the government has acted on issues raised inside parliament and, if not, why no action has been taken.
Proposal for a Public Digital Dashboard
Acharya also proposed the creation of a digital dashboard that would publicly track parliamentary discussions and government responses.
He said the system should allow citizens to monitor which lawmakers raised specific issues, which government agencies were alerted and what actions were taken afterward.
According to Acharya, such a platform would improve transparency, accountability and public trust in parliamentary processes.
He added that citizens should be able to directly track the progress of issues raised in parliament through a transparent digital mechanism.
- The proposed dashboard would publicly track parliamentary issues
- Citizens could monitor government responses and follow-up actions
- The proposal aims to improve transparency and accountability
- Acharya linked the idea to the government’s upcoming policy and programme agenda
Party Lawmakers Back the Proposal
Acharya’s remarks received immediate support from fellow lawmakers of the National Independent Party inside the parliamentary chamber.
Party lawmakers applauded after the proposal was presented, signalling support for stronger institutional assistance for elected representatives.
The discussion also reflected growing debate over how parliament can function more effectively as legislative responsibilities become increasingly technical and policy-focused.
The proposal for personal secretaries and a public digital monitoring system added a broader reform agenda to Thursday’s parliamentary session, focusing on accountability, transparency and the effectiveness of lawmakers in parliament.
