A Cabinet meeting on Thursday formed a political mechanism, under the leadership of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Kamal Thapa, to revise federal boundaries.

The move comes a day before Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visit to India, in a bid to address the grievances of various agitating communities, including the Madhesis. The cross-party mechanism will make recommendations on revising federal boundaries in three months.

However, the Samyukta Loktantrik Madhesi Morcha (SLMM) has refused to take ownership of the mechanism, alleging that the mechanism was formed in an “attempt to appease India” than to address the concerns of the agitating communities.

Earlier on Thursday, Morcha representatives in the tri-party taskforce had walked out of the meeting after negotiators from the ruling coalition and the main opposition refused to draft an agreement addressing their concerns over legitimacy and Terms of Reference of the mechanism.

Rajendra Shrestha, co-chair of the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum Nepal, said the taskforce meeting ended without any substantive outcomes after interlocutors from the three major parties in Parliament—Nepali Congress, UML and UCPN (Maoist)—remained adamant on their position.

He said recent efforts made during negotiations were “mere political stunts to quell Indian pressure”.

“It was only expected as major parties didn’t feel it necessary to take us on board during the promulgation and the first amendment of the constitution,” said Shrestha.

The major parties had made repeated attempts to bring the agitating parties on board before announcing the mechanism.

But the two sides had failed to agree on the terms of references and legality of the mechanism despite holding more than three dozen closed-door negotiations.

SLMM negotiators have said the mechanism should be provided statutory status by incorporating it in the schedule of the new constitution. They have also demanded guarantee of two provinces in the Tarai.

“Forget two provinces, they were not even ready to use report of the erstwhile state restructuring commission, a constitutional body, as the primary reference material,” said a Morcha representative.

PM’s chief political advisor Bishnu Rimal said the government would continue efforts to bring the disgruntled parties on board. “The revision would take place in  participation of Morcha representatives. Efforts to incorporate them on the mechanism will continue,” he said.