Kathmandu, December 28

Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal said the objective of federalism was to devolve power centralised at Singha Durbar to the local levels. He said this at a meeting of the Administrative Restructuring Committee, according to a press release issued by the Prime Minister’s Secretariat.

The PM further said the objective of federalism was to end oppression and discrimination and enable people to exercise their rights easily. “The main objective of federalism is to empower the people.

If one does not properly understand this then he/she cannot understand federalism,” the PM told the meeting.

He said those who were enjoying under the old structure might think the new structure a complicated affair. “Entering a new system means taking some risk.

In the course of implementing a new system, sometimes new issues arise, but those who have weak confidence want to return to the old structure thinking they cannot deal with the new system,” the PM said in an oblique reference to some political forces’ reluctance to accept federalism.

People who are used to acting under the old system treat the new system as an irritant, the PM argued. “But we should have courage to enter a new system. Only new system can resolve problems,” he added.

Deputy prime ministers Bimalendra Nidhi, Krishna Bahadur Mahara and Minister of Federal Affairs and Local Development Hitraj Pandey said that restructuring of administration was necessary to implement federalism.