Province no. 3: Name and capital to be unanimous

-Ripesh Dahal

The all-party meeting held here in connection to the naming of Province no. 3 and its capital has decided to present only one proposal for the same. The decision is to name the province as Bagmati and designate Hetauda as its permanent capital.

The all-party meeting called by Chief Minister Dormani Paudel on Friday also agreed to have the proposal passed by the State Assembly unanimously. The meeting was attended by SA members from the ruling Communist Party of Nepal, opposition Nepali Congress, Bibeksheel Nepali Dal, Bibeksheel Sajha, Nepal Majdoor Kissad Party, RPP and RPP united.

At the meeting, Chief Minister Paudel said that an all-party consensus would send out a positive message, and also help other States to follow suit. He requested all parties to support Hetauda as the capital and Bagmati as the name of the State.

Main Opposition leader in the SA, Indra Bahadur Baniya, said there was no option to become united in creating history. "We can indulge in politics during the election, now we should all join hands on a common agenda," he said.

NCP parliamentary party deputy leader and Minister for Internal Affairs and Law of the State Salikram Jhammakattel said the time had come to rise above personal interest and show unity.

Nepal Majdoor Kissan Party’s Surendra Raj Gosai said his party was always for a capital outside the Kathmandu valley. The name Bagmati too is acceptable.

RPP’s Rita Majhi, RPP United’s Rina Gurung, Ramesh Paudel of Bibeksheel Nepali and Shobha Shakya of Bibeksheel Sajha expressed support to the Chief Minister’s proposal. The two Bibeksheel parties however said they will come with their official view in regards to the capital later today.

There are a total of 110 members in the State Assembly including 80 representing the ruling NCP, 22 from the Nepali Congress, three Bibeksheel Nepali, two from Nepal Majdoor Kissan Party, one each from RPP and RPP united and one from Naya Shakti Party.