One model has 14 provinces -- Khaptad, Karnali, Tharuhat, West Madhesh (Lumbini), Magrat, Tamuwan, Tamsaling, Newa, Sunkoshi, Kirat, Limbuwan, Madhesh and Birat -- while the other model has six provinces. The states proposed in the second model are Bhawar, Janakpur, Karnali, Gandaki, Sagarmatha and Shrijangha.[break]
The sub-committee comprising Hit Man Shakya of UCPN (Maoist), Narahari Acharya of Nepali Congress (NC), Dr. Mangal Siddhi Manandhar of CPN(UML), JP Gupta of Madhesi People´s Rights Forum and Pratibha Rana of Rastriya Prajatantra Party, however, couldn´t finalize the maps on Thursday as planned.
The 43-member full committee is scheduled to meet Friday afternoon and discuss the maps. After failing to finalize the maps in hours-long discussions Thursday, the members decided to hold further rounds of discussions in the sub-committee Friday before a full committee meeting.
The sub-committee meeting was extended after some members demanded further discussions and Gupta filed dissenting views on the delineation of provisions.
"The delineation of 14 provinces is against past understanding stated in the concept paper of the committee. Therefore, I have registered my serious objection," Gupta said.
The two models were prepared on the basis of maps submitted to the committee by political parties. Political parties and some individuals submitted 22 maps to the committee. The Maoist party has proposed 13 provinces, CPN-UML has suggested 15 and the NC didn´t come up with any delineation, saying that the task should be done by a restructuring commission.
The decision to form 10 clusters in the hill regions and four in Madhes on ethnic, linguistic, regional and community basis is not based on the theory of equality, Gupta said.
According to him, a proposal to shift the central capital of the country to Chitwan district has been put forth in the sub-committee. But it is yet to be endorsed.
After the full committee incorporates the sub-committee´s proposal, it needs to be endorsed by a two-thirds majority of the 601-member CA.
Parliamentary panel agrees to increase mandatory retirement age...