Biratnagar, May 5

Four proposals rooting to make Biratnagar and Dhankuta the headquarters of Province 1 were registered at the secretariat of Provincial Assembly today.

In line with the party’s internal agreement, the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) has registered the proposal to make Biratnagar the centre with construction of administrative structures in Itahari and Gothgain that lie within the periphery of the Comprehensive Birat area. NCP’s Chief Whip Buddhi Kumar Rajbhandari registered the proposal.

Nepali Congress Chief Whip Kedar Karki registered a separate proposal to make Biratnagar headquarters of the province.

Federal Socialist Forum-Nepal lawmaker Jayaram Yadav seconded the NC’s proposal.

Similarly, lawmakers from both the NC and NCP have registered two proposals pitching to make Dhankuta the provincial headquarters.

Provincial Assembly member Lila Subba registered a proposal to make Dhankuta the headquarters. PA lawmakers Pratap Prakash Hangam and Ram Chandra Limbu seconded Subba’s proposal.

Likewise, PA member of the ruling NCP Niran Rai registered a proposal to make Dhankuta the provincial capital. Indramani Parajuli and Kusum Kumari Shrestha seconded Rai’s proposal.

The Comprehensive Birat area as touted by NCP consists of 18 local levels of Morang and Sunsari districts.

Province 1 Chief Minister Sherdhan Rai said party would punish those who filed separate proposals against the party’s decision.

The ruling NCP decided to put the province’s name on hold as it could not reach agreement. The NCP is preparing to fix the headquarters from the ongoing session of the PA. It has set the target of fixing the name of the province in the budget session.

Following the provincial government’s preparation to fix the headquarters, locals, party leaders and cadres have launched agitation demanding headquarters at major cities.

Rallies were held in Dhankuata and Dharan. Locals from Itahari organised a press meet in the street and demanded that Itahari be made the provincial headquarters.