Nine years into federalism, provinces say Kathmandu demands results while withholding powers

With police adjustment stalled, civil service laws pending and revenue sharing unresolved, chief ministers warn that federalism cannot function on promises alone

Chief ministers participating in the two-day 'Inter-Province Chief Ministers' Conference' that began in Biratnagar. All photos: Anil Shrestha

Even though nine years have passed since the promulgation of the constitution, Chief Ministers of the provinces have expressed intense dissatisfaction with Singh Durbar, stating that the federal government has not been generous in transferring the necessary rights, laws, and resources to the provinces. In the inaugural session of the two-day ‘Inter-Province Chief Ministers’ Conference’ that began in Biratnagar, Chief Ministers warned that federalism itself could be put at risk due to the centralized mindset of the federal government.

In the conference, chief ministers declared that they will not remain limited to formal discussions and grievances alone but will make a joint effort to achieve their rights. They have put forward a strategy to reach Kathmandu along with the Chief Ministers, Chief Secretaries, and Chief Attorneys of all seven provinces to hold decisive talks with the Prime Minister.

Results demanded without granting powers

Chief Minister of Gandaki Province, Surendra Raj Pandey, accused top leaders of major parties of not being honest in implementing federalism. He stated that it is ironic that questions are raised about the operational capacity of provinces without formulating laws in accordance with the constitution. “Results are being demanded after rendering us powerless. When legs are tied, it is natural not to be able to run in a race,” Pandey said, “In mid-2023, we submitted a 17-point joint demand in Pokhara in the presence of the then Prime Minister, but 16 points have not been implemented to this day.”

Chief ministers inaugurating the Inter-Province Chief Ministers’ Conference

He stated that administrative work has been affected due to frequent transfers of chief secretaries and secretaries in the provinces. “Which secretary comes when and leaves when is not known even to the Chief Minister. The province has been made like a ‘feeding ground’ for employees,” he commented.

Refutation of the ‘white elephant’ narrative

Chief Ministers strongly refuted the narrative being created that provincial structures are expensive and unproductive, that is, a ‘white elephant’. The chief minister of the host, Koshi Province, Hikmat Kumar Karki, stated that provincial structures are an important foundation of federalism and requested that their review be conducted based on facts.

“The share of provinces in the country’s total current expenditure is only slightly more than 4 percent,” Karki said, “When over 95 percent of expenditure occurs at the federal and local levels, attacking only the provinces as expensive is nothing but prejudice.”

The argument that raising questions solely about the provincial structure is unfair while limiting provinces to scarce resources and centralizing most revenue and budget in the federation