By Shashidhar Parajuli, Biratnagar, Oct. 14: The Chief Ministers of the provinces have agreed that provincial governments are being weakened economically and administratively due to the failure to enact necessary laws and grant them the powers guaranteed by the Constitution.
At the Inter-Provincial Chief Ministers’ Conference, which began in Biratnagar on Tuesday, the Chief Ministers expressed their collective dissatisfaction, saying the federal government’s reluctance to devolve powers had hampered provincial development and public service delivery.
They also announced plans to approach the federal government collectively, with representatives from all seven provinces visiting Kathmandu to seek a transfer of powers and demonstrate why such devolution
is necessary.
Addressing the inaugural session, Koshi Province Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki, the host of the conference, said provinces were the true embodiment of federalism and criticised what he described as a deliberate attempt to portray them as a ‘white elephant’.
Presenting figures showing that more than 95 per cent of the country’s total recurrent expenditure was borne by the federal and local governments, he said provincial expenditure accounted for only a little over 4 per cent.
“Ironically, other levels of government account for 95 per cent of expenditure, yet provinces bear most of the blame,” he said.
Stating that provincial powers had been left as unclear as if viewed through colour-blind eyes, Karki said it was unfortunate that demands for civil service, police, education and health legislation, first raised in 2018, had yet to be addressed. He said the Chief Ministers of all seven provinces would now travel to Kathmandu to hold decisive discussions with the Prime Minister rather than merely
voice their grievances.
Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey accused the top leaders of major political parties, including successive Prime Ministers, of lacking sincerity in implementing federalism.
He said the federal government expected results from provinces without granting them the necessary powers and legal frameworks.
“Our hands and feet are tied, yet we are told to run. When we fail to run, we ironically have to hear comments from Prime Ministers themselves that we cannot dance and are blaming the crooked courtyard,” he said.
Citing data from the Office of the Financial Comptroller General, Pandey said provincial administrative expenditure accounted for only 4.69 per cent.
He said the use of the Education Act of 1971 and the Police Act of 1955 to restrict provincial authority had rendered provincial governments ineffective. Frequent transfers of employees had also turned provinces into places where staff merely consumed public resources without contributing effectively, he added.
Pandey warned that a failure to devolve powers could eventually force the country to reconsider the federal system itself.
Madhes Province Chief Minister Krishna Prasad Yadav said provinces were ready not only to seek powers but also to shoulder greater responsibilities.
He said provincial autonomy had been undermined by the failure to adjust police personnel to the provincial structure even five years after the Provincial Police Act was enacted, as well as by the federal government’s practice of appointing provincial secretaries at its discretion.
Calling for a review of the federal decision to withhold projects costing less than Rs. 30 million, he said the move ran counter to the principles of fiscal federalism.
“Revenue collected from traffic fines should be deposited in the provincial consolidated fund, and projects costing more than Rs. 6 billion should be approved by the Provincial Investment Authority itself,” he said.
Yadav also proposed developing Madhes into an agricultural hub and expanding inter-provincial air connectivity and tourism networks.
Bagmati Province Chief Minister Kiran Thapa Magar said federalism did not simply mean transferring the powers of Singha Durbar
to provincial capitals.
He pointed out that overlapping responsibilities and a lack of coordination with the federal government had hindered the development of institutional capacity at the provincial level.
Describing climate-related disasters as a shared challenge, Thapa Magar said a permanent Integrated Inter-Provincial Disaster Management and Relief Fund should be established with the participation of all seven provinces.
“This would enable one province to extend immediate assistance to another when a disaster strikes,” he said.
He also stressed the need to expand domestic markets and promote economic integration among the provinces.
Lumbini Province Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya said the lack of cooperation from the federal government had prevented the resolution of longstanding obstacles to implementing federalism.
He accused the Civil Service Bill registered in Parliament of creating confusion rather than boosting morale within the administrative machinery.
“Without an Education Act, provinces do not even have the authority to merge schools or deploy teachers. The Forest Act has become an obstacle to development, while fiscal transfers are being restricted,” he said.
Karnali Province Chief Minister Mangal Bahadur Shahi said disputes over jurisdiction persisted nearly a decade after the promulgation of the Constitution because detailed allocations of responsibilities and the necessary laws had yet to be put in place.
He lamented that Karnali, which faces considerable geographical challenges, had been unable to make adequate use of its natural resources, including water, medicinal herbs, agriculture and tourism, owing to a lack of administrative and financial powers.
The Chief Ministers attending the conference shared the view that federalism could not succeed unless provinces were empowered and made financially self-reliant.
The conference is preparing to issue the ‘Biratnagar Declaration’, incorporating common demands for administrative autonomy, legislation and fiscal transfers, to exert joint pressure on the federal government.
At the conference, Dr. Dipesh Ghimire presented a paper on ‘Inter-Provincial Development Partnerships for Shared Prosperity: Economic Integration, Connectivity, Natural Resources, Disaster Management and Innovation’.
Similarly, Dr. Khim Lal Devkota presented a paper on ‘Inter-Provincial Coordination and Cooperation: International Practices, Nepal’s Experience and the Way Forward’.
The Chief Minister of Sudurpashchim Province was absent from the conference.
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