Biratnagar/Kavre/Pokhara, Dec 13

Following the provincial and parliamentary elections, preparations are now under way to declare provisional provincial capitals ahead of the first provincial assembly meeting.

A Cabinet meeting scheduled for tomorrow is expected to decide the provisional provincial capitals.

With regard to Province 1, chances are high Biratnagar will be declared the provisional provincial capital. As recognition of provincial capital also entails a number of basic infrastructure for housing province-level ministries, residential quarters and chief minister’s office, a study is being conducted on how those offices could be accommodated in the existing structures until new structures are built.

According to sources, 11 regional offices in Biratnagar have been recommended to the centre as suitable sites for establishing province-level offices and ministries. “Details of the regional offices have been sent to the centre, with an estimated required cost of Rs 215 million for repairing and revamping the structures,” said Chief District Officer Ram Prasad Acharya of Morang.

Strength of provincial govts as per statute

Province

Assembly Members

Cabinet Ministers

1

93

18

2

107

21

3

110

22

4

60

12

5

87

17

6

40

8

7

53

10

TOTAL

550

108

No. of members

Parliament: 275

National Assembly: 59

Provincial assemblies: 550

TOTAL: 884

Similarly, the local administration of Kavre is said to have sent a report to the Department of Urban Development identifying the district as the potential provincial headquarters for Province-3 three weeks ago. The administration here is said to have recommended Shreekhandapur-based Information Technology Park as the potential site for provincial headquarters. Built at a cost of tens of millions of rupees on 257 ropanis, the high-tech IT park comprises two big buildings and four fully furnished residential buildings, besides nine other buildings. “The IT park has been lying useless for years, it can be an appropriate venue for the provincial capital,” said Chief District Officer Shiva Prasad Simkhada.

As for Province 4, preparations are in full swing to declare Pokhara as the provincial capital. Earlier, western regional Administrator Laxman Aryal had formed a task force to make a list of sites that could house provincial ministries and offices. After the list was submitted to the centre, recommended places were monitored yesterday. “Monitoring was carried out to identify possible sites for hosting province-level offices. The provincial assembly could be housed either in the town training centre, Pokhara Covered Hall, or the District Coordination Committee hall,” said Chief District Officer Taranath Adhikari of Kaski, adding that a budget of Rs 175 million had been estimated for repairing and revamping the existing structures for housing the provincial facilities.

As for Province-6, preparations are on to declare Surkhet as its provincial capital. With such prospects, the mid-western Regional Administration Office of Surkhet is on the lookout for suitable structures in Birendranagar. Following the instruction to search for suitable sites to host the provincial parliament and ministries, a task force had been formed under the leadership of regional Administrator Suresh Pradhan. The task force has recommended Birendranagar-based educational training centre building as the proper site for provincial assembly, while other regional level offices have been identified as potential sites for housing other offices and ministries.

Meanwhile, Dang is said to be bracing for provincial capital status for Province-5. “As we have necessary infrastructure, we have to make necessary preparations lest we are asked for the same later,” said the chief district officer of Dang, adding that his office has identified suitable sites for housing provincial facilities required to be set up immediately.

(With inputs from Suryamani Gautam of Surkhet and Udaya GM of Dang)