Federal Government cannot prevail over Province Government on use of rights

Surkhet, Aug. 15: Minister for Federal Affairs and General Administration Rajendra Prasad Shrestha has said that the Federal Government cannot prevail over the Province Government in the use of rights ensured by the Constitution of Nepal.  

At an interaction programme on Federal Governance Strengthening organised by the Federalism Implementation Study and Monitoring Parliamentary Special Committee under the National Assembly here on Monday, Minister Shrestha stated that the Federal Government cannot snatch the rights until the majority of the provinces decide as per the constitution.

Minister Shrestha argued that the problem in the implementation of federalism was created by a lack of laws on the power of the provinces, the federal civil service act and the poor status of fiscal federalism at the local level. 

"Attention has been drawn on a complaint that the Federal (Government) did not right. Several issues relating to officials' management shall be addressed after making the Federal Civil Service Act. Drafting of the bill is ongoing by taking theoretical consensus," according to Minister Shrestha.  

As proposed in the draft, only the chief secretary of the Federal Civil Service would be deployed in the province, and the secretary and the chief administrative officer would not be deployed from the federal like the existing practice, Shrestha said.

Likewise, he urged the provincial governments to make the Province Civil Service Act. 

Minister Shrestha was of the view that mutual cooperation and co-existence would help institutionalize federalism.

During the programme, Special Committee's Coordinator Khimlal Devkota said inclusive democracy would not be strengthened without federalism.