In candid discussion, chief ministers urge PM to empower provinces

Three weeks after assuming office, Prime Minister Balendra Shah began consultations with provincial governments on Thursday, listening to their grievances and assuring them of efforts to strengthen the provinces. During the three-hour meeting, the chief ministers voiced dissatisfaction over what they described as the federal government’s continued reluctance to devolve authority in order for the provinces to exercise their constitutional rights. The chief ministers, who travelled to Kathmandu at the prime minister’s invitation, raised concerns that the provinces had not been fully functional as envisaged in the 2015 constitution. The interaction marked one of the most direct engagements between the federal and provincial leaderships in recent months. This was the first meeting Prime Minister Shah held with chief ministers in his third week in office. Shah sought to reassure the provincial leaders, reiterating a commitment he had expressed during his campaign. Addressing his first major election rally in Janakpur on January 19, he had said that provinces must be made stronger. That speech had helped ease doubts about his stance on federalism, particularly after questions were raised during the 2022 elections when he cast his vote for the House of Representatives but abstained from the provincial ballot. These uncertainties appeared to have been largely dispelled after Thursday’s meeting. Chief ministers who attended the discussion said they found Shah clear and positive