Nepal, April 27 -- Since the inception of federalism in Nepal, the provincial tier of government has faced constant criticism for being a redundant layer that merely increases government expenditure. The Rastriya Swatantra Party, which now commands a near two-thirds majority in the House of Representatives, had previously proposed to introduce an alternative model where provinces exist but function without provincial legislatures to reduce administrative costs. The Balen Shah-led government has rejuvenated hope with a recent meeting with the Chief Ministers of all seven provinces and his speech in Dhanusha during his election campaign trail.

The Post's Biken K Dawadi interviewed Chief Minister of Gandaki Province Surendra Raj Pandey at a...