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President Ram Chandra Paudel has prorogued the current session of the National Assembly to be effective from midnight on February 13.

President Paudel prorogued the session of the National Assembly, the upper house of the Federal Parliament, on the recommendation of the Council of Ministers on February 9, in accordance with Article 93 (2) of the Constitution of Nepal.

The current session of the National Assembly was convened on January 18.

The Madhes Province Assembly has so far legislated 67 laws, according to the Office of the Chief Attorney of the Madhesh Province. 

Chief Attorney of the Madhes Province, Dr Sunil Ranjan Singh informed that other laws are under formulation process.

It has been stated that the frequent changes in the governments have brought challenges in the formulation of other laws.

He further shared that the free legal aid program being operated by the Chief Attorney Office under the Madhes province government has gradually become effective. Citizens belonging to the poor and marginalized section have improved access to justice with the free legal aid service in place, he claimed.

Dr Singh expressed the confidence that the legal structure would further strengthen good governance and the judicial system in the province.

The number of beneficiaries from the service that was launched focusing on Dalit, disadvantaged, and backward people who are likely to be deprived of access to justice due to financial condition is annually increasing, the office shared.

The provincial government has been providing legal assistance by mobilizing legal professionals in all eight districts of Madhesh.

According to the office, as many as 108 people had received the service in the starting year while the number increased to 110 in the year 2076/77 BS; 144 in the year 2077/78 BS; 238 in the year 2078/79 and 368 in the year 2081/82 BS.

The end beneficiaries have been receiving legal aid for their services from the District Court, the High Court, the Supreme Court and the Administrative Court.

The Election Commission (EC) has prepared resource materials for the promotion of civic education targeting the House of Representatives (HoR) elections scheduled for March 5.

The resource materials include the contents on democracy, fair election, inclusion, voters' namelist and voting, among others. 

Likewise, the importance of voting, constitutional provisions on elections, elections and political parties are also mentioned in the Civic Education Promotion Resource Materials, according to the EC.

EC's Assistant Spokesperson Kul Bahadur GC said that the concerned authority, institutions and individuals can promote the civil education based on the resource materials. 

Moreover, the EC is expediting the activities related to the voter education program from February 13.

Security has been beefed up at Rautahat border point in view of the March 5 elections to the House of Representatives.

Local residents mentioned that security agencies have intensified surveillance along the Nepal-India border to curb the illegal entry of weapons, ammunition, explosives, firecrackers and narcotics from across the border.

According to them, the increased vigilance has reportedly disrupted smuggling networks operating along the border area.

Chief of Rautahat police and Superintendent of Police (SP) Sitaram Rijal shared that they have strengthened coordination among the security agencies so as to maintain law and order as well as to ensure that voters can exercise their franchise rights without fear and intimidation. 

SP Rijal observed that security mechanisms in the district have become more robust and alert in the recent weeks. He added that seizures of illegally imported goods and tax-evaded items have notably increased.

Likewise, Chief of Area Police Office, Simraungadh, Police Inspector Krishnadev Prasad Sah informed that with the election-centric stricter border security measures in place, smuggling and illegal trade activities have noticeably come down.

According to him, there is a rise in arrests of individuals involved in illegal cross-border activities through unofficial routes, claiming that the crackdown has contributed in restoring a sense of security in the local community.

Meanwhile, the Area Police Office reported that in the last three months, four absconding convicts were nabbed, 18 cases were filed and four people were detained for possessing nearly 80 km marijuana. 

Likewise, police here also seized 46,000 tablets of narcotic drugs-hydrochloride during this period.