Devolve power to local levels

The Himalayan Times

7 March 2019

Devolve power to local levels

The implementation of federal structure in Nepal has completed its one year with much furore between the central and local level governments about the power sharing in line with the constitution. The excitement of the local and provincial governments for effectively running their organizations has been dashed due to the unwillingness to hand over power by the central government to them. Most of the senior leaders of all the major parties used to talk about federalism before the promulgation of the constitution. It now seems the centre is not serious about sharing and devolving its some to the sub-national governments “Hand over power” (THT, March 5, Page 8) even though it has been explicitly mentioned in the constitution.

One of the visible and insensible acts of the federal government was to dissolve all the district level offices responsible for looking after education, health agriculture, forest, livestock, infrastructure and cooperatives instead of handing them over to the provincial governments. Now, the government seems to be thinking mulling over reviving these offices, which can be seen as another attempt to undermine the role and responsibility of the provincial governments. 

All the provincial governments have been continuously raising their voices against the unwillingness of federal government to hand over constitutional power to them. There does not seem to be any reason for the federal government to be making excuses of not handing power to the sub-national governments as per the constitution if it firmly believes in the federal structure. If this situation continues to persist, the federal concept will take a wrong course, damaging the national image.

 

Rai Biren Bangdel

Maharajgunj