The MP needs a personal secretary, but in the wave of good governance and austerity, no one is able to speak up.

There is a reason for this. In the past, some MPs recruited their relatives in the name of Swakeya or PA. Some made bags under the pretext of giving jobs to the able-bodied. The system itself became perverted as some gave official level jobs to those who could not pass class 8.

One or the other, the name of the city turned out to be a middleman. When those who are supposed to make the law, started violating the law openly, the question arose about the justification of self-interest. Journalist Makar Shrestha had written an investigative report about self-inflicted distortions in online news a year and a half ago.

It must be because of this distortion that the Sushila Karki-led government abolished the system of self-employment while cutting expenses. The Karki government took away the privileges of MP’s private secretary by changing the schedule of the Act 2073 regarding the remuneration and benefits of the officers and members of the Federal Parliament.

Officials of the Federal Parliament expressed dissatisfaction with this decision taken by the government on October 5, 2082, which came to hold elections. In order to maintain frugality, it was said that it would be applied to all ministries and agencies of the Nepal government, state governments and all local levels. Some provinces, including the Far West, expressed dissatisfaction and implemented the decision of self-revocation only late.

A few days ago, the parliamentarian of Koshi region also demanded the Prime Minister Balen Shah to revive the system of self-governance. According to what the MPs told us, the situation is now, especially the condition of our hon. They are not in a position to reply to incoming messages. Their morning or evening hours do not suit personal comfort and mental compatibility. As soon as I picked up the phone, I picked it up.

However, why should the situation not deteriorate, many promises were made during the election. It is said that I will become a friend in people’s happiness 24 hours a day. But especially no one can work around the clock. On the one hand, MPs have to read the drafts of the rules and laws. Some have small jobs or studies on the side. Right now, only the youth MP’s army is standing. One can clearly understand their rush and the stress they put on.

Why are they unable to ask for help even though they need it? Because in the past, many parliamentarians misused this facility and hired family members, relatives, friends in the name of private secretary. He also paid the salary of his name himself. Due to many of the MPs, this facility became infamous. Many personal secretaries may also contribute to the party or leader bag making system. But that was the fault of the particular parliamentarian, not the system of personal retention.

In particular, the private secretary is also a kind of advisor to the MP. How many subjects can the MP be informed about by doing research on his own? In the past, some MPs used to perform very well, be it in regular sittings of Parliament or in parliamentary committees. That was possible because of their internal team.

But not all MPs are in a position to have a separate team with their own resources. The state can help them. The investment made in the self does not go to waste. Instead, he also took regular attendance.

In order to participate in the debate on the bill, one must have a deep understanding of the subject. Some are constituencies related work. MPs also have their own expectations of voters. As far as the expectations of our voters are concerned, MPs should call by name when they meet.

For proportional MPs, the whole country is a constituency. The role of proportional parliamentarians in the parliament is even greater because they have to work in a way that is fair for the area they represent. Therefore, if it is necessary to reduce the number of parliamentarians, then the constitutional amendment and other issues will be progressed until the next election.

If we want a strong and efficient parliamentarian, he should also be equipped with minimum resources. If MPs are to be made harmless and innocuous, then there is no point in making a big deal in the elections.

In the past, MPs like Subas Nembang, Gagan Thapa, Pradeep Giri used to keep their own secretariats tight so that they could easily go outside the constituency and parliamentary affairs whenever they wanted. While watching, the people will have the feeling that the leader is within their reach, the leader can arrange his time elsewhere.

Foreign countries have their own examples. In the US, the federal parliament has given this facility to the senator with a fixed budget. In the UK, MPs are given staffing allowances and are given the facility of having a private secretary.

In Germany, parliamentarians are provided with a stipend for research and administrative work. It is possible to have a private secretary in organizations including the European Union, but strict action is taken if relatives and friends are found.

In some countries, different staff are also kept to look after parliamentary work and constituencies. In some countries, it is also seen that parliamentarians are running without a personal name. In some countries, it is found that parliamentarians work by keeping a separate secretariat.

Let’s look at India, the famous writer Shashi Tharoor is winning elections from Thiruvananthapuram. He arranges the work schedule of the parliamentary field and his writing in such a way that anyone can get greedy. Eight years ago, I told the then UML MP Pradeep Gyawali about time management options, giving the example of Shashi Tharoor. Gyawali, who is also a writer, said, ‘Where else can you arrange time like them here?’

Shashi Tharoor is the one who is writing in many genres like economics, history, geopolitics, literature, governance policies at the same time, most of his books create some kind of waves not only in India but also all over the world. Let us imagine, what would have happened if Tharoor did not have a personal secretariat team!

Let’s establish a procedure to check whether the facility given in the name of the person has been properly used or misused. The mechanism itself is broken. Otherwise, the situation of fearing that the MP will get up and leave the middle of a serious meeting, if he ignores the phone, the voters will get angry, must end now.

Let’s see what happens next. Prime Minister Balen has promised to reform the procedure to regulate the system of self-appointment of parliamentarians. If the parliamentarians are to be made effective and not harmless, there is no alternative to creating a self-sustaining system. In order to eliminate the distortions seen in the past in the name of self, a system should be made at the beginning.