Nepal has now entered into federal structure. All the provincial governments are now in place and have started their businesses despite facing many difficulties.

Local level governments are struggling to meet the expectations of rural people. The Oli-led federal government is still negotiating with the Sanghiya Samajbadi Forum-Nepal (SSF-N) and Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) to bring them in the Cabinet.

The constitution amendment has been their one of major demands before joining the government. It is yet to be seen whether they will stick to their demands or join the government for the ministerial berths as in the past.

Recently, Prime Minister Oli held a meeting with the seven chief ministers, principal secretaries and chief attorneys to brief them about the official policy of the federal government about the development, its internal affairs and international relations “PM holds meeting with chief ministers” (THT, March 22, Page 3).

He emphasised the need to coordinate between the federal government and provincial governments and work for the prosperity and development of the country. However, the federal government has poorly failed to provide necessary laws, human and economic resources to the provincial and local governments on time.

This situation has greatly hampered the daily routine works of the provincial governments. It does not seem that the provincial governments will be able to fully function until they are fully equipped with sufficient staff, appropriate budget and necessary infrastructure.

The Ministry of Federal Affairs, Local Development and General Administration is having difficult time to send central level staff to their assigned provinces.

Rai Biren Bangdel, Maharajgunj

Punish guilty

Apropos of the news story “Udaypur DFO least bothered as wildfires rage through Chure” (THT, March 27, Page 4), this is not surprising considering that a group consisting of a lawmaker, an assembly member and the Katari Mayor from Province No-1 thrashed the assistant forest officer at his office a few days ago.

Apparently the junior officer was manhandled for obstructing the “development work” by detaining a heavy equipment driver for illegally building a road through the forest. Everybody must follow the rule of law, be it a lawmaker or a mayor.

The concerned authorities, it seemed, had sent the heavy equipment driver in the forest area without taking permission of the Department of Forest whose duty is to protect the forest.

Any development work should also be carried out only after fulfilling legal requirements.

As per the forest law, no one is allowed to build a road or fell trees without getting clearance from the Department of Forest. Manhandling a government employee on duty is a criminal offence and the persons involved in such act must be punished.

Manohar Shrestha, Kathmandu