NA chairman urged political parties to strengthen federalism

National Assembly Chairperson Ganesh Prasad Timilsina has said it was political parties' responsibility to safeguard the federal democratic republic.

At an interaction on 'Enabling Federal Governance' organised by Federalism Implementation Study and Monitoring Special Committee and Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers of Province No. 1 here Tuesday, Timilsina said federalism will be firm and institutionalized provided that the political parties were devoted to the citizens adding that the ultimate goal of federalism was to end discrimination by maintaining good-governance in the country.

On the occasion, Timilsina underscored the need to inform the general public about the works carried out by the three layers of governments and development construction since the establishment of the federalism.

The National Assembly Chairman said federalism is a means not an end adding that the political parties should ensure transformation through their behavioural changes for the enabling of federalism.

During the programme, Chief Minister of Province No. 1 Rajendra Kumar Rai said federalism should be made high-powered and the gaps in it should be fulfilled.

He was of the view that general people have realized the shift in infrastructure development works carried out from the province and local levels after the establishment of federalism.

Rai added that federalism should not be made the revised form of decentralisation stating that it was the responsibility of the political parties to ensure more rights to the provinces.

Likewise, Speaker of Province No. 1 Pradip Kumar Bhandari said laws on concurrent rights of federal and province governments should be made but viewed that the local levels were not managing the areas of education and health care.

Committee's Coordinator and National Assembly Member Dr Khimlal Devkota argued that remote areas in the country have witnessed development prospects with the establishment of federalism.

National Assembly Member Bimala Rai Poudel, Health Minister of Province No. 1 Jayaram Yadav and others expressed their views on the empowering the provinces to empower the grassroots people.