Nepal, July 21 -- Much of the debate on the relevance of Nepal's provincial tier has focused on costs. However, the decision to establish provinces was never merely an economic or administrative one. It was fundamentally a political and constitutional response to Nepal's long struggle for inclusion, representation and regional autonomy. The demand dates back to the establishment of the Nepal Tarai Congress in 1951. These movements ultimately shaped the federal structure enshrined in the 2015 Constitution.

Federalism, however, was intended to achieve more than political inclusion. It sought to constitutionally decentralise public authority, fiscal resources, planning and investment so that economic opportunities would spread beyond the Ka...