By Ranju Kafle
Kathmandu, Apr. 30: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli Wednesday inspected the Federal Parliament’s meeting hall in New Baneshwor. The government is preparing to summon the budget session in the near future. The government is under pressure to prepare the budget, fix its priorities and plan and programme of coming year within a short time due to the fear of COVID-19.
Minister for Finance Dr Yuba Raj Khatiwada who is also spokesperson of the government has already said that the government would table the budget in time. However, the government is trapped in an uneasy situation because of the fear of COVID-19. No discussion sessions have been held with experts or stakeholders till date.
The government has to table the budget by May 28 (Jesth 15) as per the constitutional provision.
Before that, discussions should be held on policy and programmes and. It is learnt that the government is preparing to summon the budget session by the third week of May. 
 The PM was accompanied by Speaker Agni Prasad Sapkota, National Assembly chair Ganesh Prasad Timalsina and Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Shivamaya Tumbahangfe during the inspection.
Gopalnath Yogi, acting secretary in the Parliament Secretariat, said that the secretariat informed PM Oli about the preparatory tasks. He said they were busy planning seats for lawmakers to maintain social distancing.
Altogether 330 lawmakers (4 suspected from 334) will be in the joint session of federal parliament. Apart from that, experts, leaders of

private sector, representatives of diplomatic missions, diplomats and others take part in the budget speech every year.
Parliament secretariat had repaired 1,000 seats (both of upper and ground floor) of Lower House for the coming session. Prior to this, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli had met speaker Sapkota at his official resident in Baluwatar and discussed about the preparations of upcoming sixth session of the federal parliament.
Sridhar Neupane, press advisor to the Speaker, said that both PM and Speaker discussed about summoning budget session of federal parliament, finalising principles and priorities of Appropriation Bill and fixing government policy and programmes for the next fiscal year in the meeting.