Province 3 Assembly has decided to hold talks with political parties in a ‘last-ditch effort’ to forge a consensus on provincial capital.

The Business Advisory Committee meeting held on Saturday again deferred the deliberation on designating the capital.

The committee did not include the agenda of provincial capital for discussion at the assembly meeting scheduled for Monday. Instead, the committee tried to find a common ground among the political parties representing in the assembly to resolve the long-standing issue.  

“We proposed to end the issue of provincial capital soon, as it holds the province hostage of indecision. Speaker urged everyone to reach consensus among the parties as it is a political issue,” said NC lawmaker Chhering Dorje Lama.

Province 3 Speaker Sanu Kumar Shrestha told the meeting that the proposal on the capital would be put to the vote in the next assembly meeting if the parties failed to reach consensus on the issue, said Lama.

During the meeting on Saturday, Nepal Communist Party lawmakers Buddiman Majhi, Kanchan Khanal, Ganesh Dulal, NC lawmaker Lama and Bibekshil Sajha Party member Shova Shakya, among others, demanded that the provincial capital be designated at the earliest.

The provincial government has been charged with trying to avoid discussion on the issue in the parliament. Lawmakers had tabled different proposals in favour of Kavre, Nuwakot and Bhaktapur as the provincial headquarters.  

Meanwhile, five different bills are scheduled to be presented at the assembly meeting on Monday.

NCP obstructs State 2 Assembly meet

Nepal Communist Party lawmakers disrupted the assembly meeting in Janakpur on Sunday in protest of a bill on appointment of employees on contract.

Stating that the bill, presented by the provincial government, was against the spirit of the constitution, the members of the opposition banged the table and obstructed the parliamentary process soon after the assembly was convened.

Speaker Saroj Yadav postponed the meeting for 10 minutes. The meeting, however, resumed later after informal talks between  Chief Minister Mohammad Lalbabu Raut and NCP lawmakers agreed to remove the bill from the work list.