LUMBINI: The Lumbini Province Government has completed five years of its establishment. The province marks the day the Lumbini Province Government was formed, or February 15, as its establishment day. The establishment day was celebrated for the first time in the province’s capital in Rapti Valley.
The first government of Lumbini Province was mired in political maneuvering, which spilled over from the federal government into the provinces. As a result, the province saw three chief ministers in just six years.
The first meeting of the province assembly was held on February 4, 2018, where CPN-UML leader Shankar Prasad Pokharel was elected as the first Chief Minister. However, Pokharel was unable to complete his term, leaving after leading the government for 41 months and 24 days.
Kul Prasad KC of CPN (Maoist Center) succeeded Pokharel on August 12, 2021. He completed the remaining term of the province assembly and handed over the reins to UML’s Lila Giri who was appointed Chief Minister on January 11, 2023, following the second province assembly elections held on November 20, 2022.
The province has also seen three province chiefs in its first six years. Umakant Jha was appointed province chief after Butwal was declared the temporary capital of Lumbini Province. Dharmanath Yadav succeeded him as the second province chief. Amik Sherchan is the incumbent province chief.
However, Speaker Purna Bahadur Gharti and Deputy Speaker Krishni Tharu were able to complete their five-year term.
Due to the political dynamics, the province government increased its six-member cabinet to 17 members during former Chief Minsier Kul Bahadur KC’s term. The current government has downsized the cabinet to 10 members.
When the first province government was formed, it had to rent buildings for offices in the temporary capital of Butwal. This situation has persisted for seven years. The province government continues to rent buildings for government offices and quarters even after the administrative zone shifted to the permanent capital at Rapti Valley.
To address this issue, Chief Minister Lila Giri laid the foundation stone for new government office buildings on the occasion of the province establishment day. The construction of the new administrative buildings is expected to be completed in three years and will cost an estimated Rs 3.09 billion.
“The common people could not feel the impact of the province government. The province government appears to be closer to the people, but it has failed to deliver.”
The constitution envisages provincial structure as the backbone of federalism. However, questions have started to arise from citizens about this structure after just one term. Political analyst Rishi Ajad stated that the Lumbini Province Government failed to justify its existence in its first term. “The common people could not feel the impact of the province government,” he said. “The province government appears to be closer to the people, but it has failed to deliver.”
He also noted that the federal government did not seem interested in enacting laws that would strengthen the provinces.
One of the major problems faced by the province offices is the adjustment of employees. Senior officials deputed by the federal government don’t stay for long, leading to a shortage of employees in different ministries, the province assembly, and other province government offices.
The delay in the enactment of the Civil Service Act has affected the regular work of the province government. “There are so many structures in the province government. But the Civil Service Act, which is crucial to strengthen federalism, has not been made,” said Advocate Mahendra Pandey.
He added that the political leadership has failed to strengthen federalism.
