Bagmati Province Chief Minister Proposes Reducing Number of Ministers Through Constitutional Amendment to Prime Minister
Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya of Bagmati Province has advocated for a constitutional amendment to reduce the number of ministers in the provincial government. In discussions with Prime Minister Balendra Shah, he also suggested the need to amend the electoral system and called for direct election of the Chief Minister. Furthermore, Baniya urged the federal parliament to quickly enact legislation granting provincial authority over land, forests, and police.
Kathmandu, 16 April – Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya of Bagmati Province has clearly stated that the number of ministers in the provincial government should be reduced through a constitutional amendment. During a discussion with Prime Minister Balendra Shah, he explained that applying the constitutional provision allowing ministers up to 20 percent of the total provincial assembly members results in an unnaturally high number of ministers at the provincial level, which attracts criticism. He said, “In my conversation with the Prime Minister, I expressed the view that the constitutional provision should be amended to reduce the size of the provincial council of ministers. The allowance to appoint ministers up to 20 percent of the total assembly members is leading provinces to be criticized. Bagmati Province is reducing its number of ministers to seven, which will help cut costs in state management.”
In the same discussion, Chief Minister Baniya referenced the ongoing federal government process to initiate constitutional amendments and emphasized the need to reform the electoral system. He stated, “The current electoral system does not provide stability. The situation where a single party wins a clear majority will not always prevail. Hence, I believe the constitution should be amended to enable the direct election of the Chief Minister. At the same time, inclusive proportional representation must be ensured based on defined geographical constituencies.”
He pointed out that the lack of provincial authority over land, forests, and police hampers service delivery. Without land rights, Bagmati Province has been unable to build necessary infrastructure for eight years. “The absence of land authority is creating problems in infrastructure development,” he explained. Highlighting this issue to the Prime Minister, he urged the federal parliament to promptly draft a law to grant these powers to the provinces.
Prime Minister Shah expressed interest during the discussion in the South Kali–Sisneri–Bhimfedi and Pharping–Kulekhani–Bhimfedi roads that connect Kathmandu, the provincial capital, with Hetauda. Chief Minister Baniya assured that reconstruction of both roads would be completed within the upcoming fiscal year. He emphasized that education and health services must be accessible to the poor. The Prime Minister committed to reserving 10 percent of seats in every school and hospital for disadvantaged groups. Baniya further stressed the necessity of federal government support to implement regulations that set definite timeframes for investors to complete requisite processes such as regulatory compliance and environmental impact assessments to attract investment effectively.
