National
2 panels set up for state restructuring
Six months after the promulgation of the constitution, the government has formed High-level Federalism Implementation and Restructuring Committee under the prime minister to coordinate among state mechanisms to restructure the state.Six months after the promulgation of the constitution, the government has formed High-level Federalism Implementation and Restructuring Committee under the prime minister to coordinate among state mechanisms to restructure the state.
The 13-member committee comprises six deputy prime ministers, minister for finance, home minister, law minister, minister for general administration and National Planning Commission vice-chairperson as members.
Chief Secretary Somlal Subedi will be member-secretary of the committee.
The Cabinet on Friday also formed another nine-member Federalism Implementation and Administration Restructuring Committee under the leadership of Chief Secretary Subedi.
The prime minister-led high-level committee has been mandated to endorse the guidelines and frameworks prepared by the chief secretary-level committee to implement federalism and arrange transitional set-up in the provincial level.
The committee is mandated to prepare policies related to implementation of federalism, fix provincial capitals after conducting a thorough study and determine rights and responsibilities of local, provincial and central governments. “This committee will also monitor progress made in the implementation of federalism,” said Minister for Communication and Technology Sherdhan Rai, who is also the government spokesperson. “The committee will also seek to find/ suggest ways to address possible tensions between provinces and take the final call in materialising federal set-up,” added Rai. The government’s move to fix provincial capitals and set-up federal structures comes at a time when differences between the ruling and agitating Madhes-based parties continue to remain unresolved.
The Madhes-centric parties have been demanding change in provincial boundaries.
The Madhes-based parties on Friday were quick to oppose the Cabinet decision, saying it was yet another ploy to weaken them. “Federal demarcation should be resolved immediately if the constitution is to be implemented. Otherwise, it will not make sense,” said Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato.
In a bid to address Madhes-based parties’ concerns, Parliament in January voted to amend the constitution ensuring proportional inclusive representation of women, indigenous nationalities and Madhesis among other marginalised communities in the state organs. But the Madhes-based parties’ key demand has remained the same: redrawing of federal boundaries.