Lalitpur, June 30:

Minister for Local Development, Rajendra Pandey, today criticised the proposal of restructuring the state to a federal system.

“Some people are talking about federal system. It is not possible. It would be mere regionalisation and not true decentralisation,” he said, adding that it would only provoke some middle persons to rule in between. He said this while addressing a programme on local governments and future structure of self-governance. He said Nepal does not need any other level of office expect those at the central and district levels. “Why do we need any office in between when we are giving all rights to the lower level?” he asked.

“We must go for district, city and village governments. We should aim at making the village development committees strong enough to distribute citizenship cards to the people there,” he said.

Pandey further demanded that the state should be restructured in an inclusive manner.