Leaders from both the government and the Madhesi Morcha are denying authenticity of the statute amendment text that appeared in the media on Sunday.

But both the sides say they are close to an agreement while most Morcha leaders are “ready to support” the proposed changes with reservations. According to reports, the government last week forwarded a draft amendment proposal to Morcha interlocutors offering changes in six articles of the new constitution. Morcha leaders denied having received the amendment proposal but said informal negotiations were headed in the positive direction.

Madhesi leaders privy to the developments said the government has proposed carving out another province from Nawalparasi to Bardiya in the western Tarai, offering to end the row over five so-called disputed districts through a Federal Delineation Commission.

Besides revising the federal boundaries, the government has also shown readiness to amend provisions pertaining to representation of the Madhesi constituency in the upper house, citizenship and working languages of the provinces.

Tarai Madhes Loktantrik Party Vice-chairman Hridayesh Tripathi said there had been significant progress in negotiation.

“We have not received any draft from the government. If the government comes up with the same draft reported in media, our party will accept it with reservations. But since we don’t know what will be included in the final draft, it might be too early to comment,” said Tripathi.

Regarding revision of the federal boundaries, the bone of contention, the government has proposed a Tharuhat province from Nawalparasi to Bardiya in the West, while ending the dispute over the five districts in the east and Far West through the commission.

SLMM leaders have welcomed the proposal to form another province in the plains but objected to plan to resolve the row over the so-called five disputed districts—Jhapa, Morang, Sunsari, Kailali and Kanchanpur—through the restructuring commission.

“The disputes over the five districts should be resolved now even if it means splitting the districts between Hills and plains provinces. A deal depends on the willingness the government shows in resolving the row over the five districts,” said Sadbhawana Party Chairman Rajendra Mahato.