May 19: President Ram Chandra Poudel on Friday presented the government's policies and programmes for the next fiscal year (FY 2023/24) in the Federal Parliament.    
President Ram Chandra Paudel read out the policies and programmes in the joint meeting of both the houses of the Federal Parliament in the New Baneshwar. The meeting started at 4 pm.    
At the onset of the meeting, Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal handed over a copy of the policies and programmes to the president.    
As per the constitutional provision, the president shall address either a meeting of any House or a joint sitting of both Houses of the Federal Parliament, and summon the MPs while presenting the government’s policies and programmes.    
This is the first address to the parliament after Paudel's election to the post of the president.    
In the countries having parliamentary democracy, there is a practice of presenting the government's annual policies and programmes in the Federal Parliament and the parliament passing the same after deliberations on them.    
Vice President Ram Sahay Prasad Yadav, Prime Minister Dahal, Acting Chief Justice Hari Krishna Karki arrived at the Parliament Building to witness the presentation of the government's policies and programmes.    
The House of Representatives and the National Assembly will hold their separate meetings today itself after the joint sitting is over. The Prime Minister will table a copy of the President's address to the joint sitting in the separate meetings as well.    
Both Houses of the Federal Parliament will deliberate on the government's policies and programmes for some days beginning Sunday. The prime minister will reply to the queries raised by lawmakers in course of the deliberations.    
There is a constitutional provision which requires the finance minister to present in the House the annual budget for the next fiscal year on the 15th of Jeth every year (May 29) after the policies and programmes are passed by the parliament. -- RSS