Gandaki Province Chief Minister Surendra Raj Pandey has questioned the purpose of federalism if provinces cannot exercise the rights guaranteed to them by the constitution, speaking in Biratnagar while attending an inter-provincial chief ministers' conference. He said the federal government’s tendency to retain powers at the centre and then blame provincial governments for shortcomings must end, arguing that the lack of authority and essential structures is hampering public security, disaster management and development work.
Pandey calls for provinces to exercise constitutional rights
Pandey told Lokaantar that federalism has no justification if provincial governments are not permitted to use the powers assigned to them under the constitution. His comments put the focus on the gap between constitutional rights and their implementation, as well as on the practical responsibilities provinces are expected to carry out.
He said the federal government had remained indifferent to implementing constitutional rights and distributing responsibilities. In Pandey’s view, provinces cannot be held responsible for delivering results when they do not have the authority or institutional capacity needed to perform their work. He called for an end to the pattern of keeping powers at the centre while directing criticism at the provinces.
The chief minister’s remarks came during a gathering of provincial leaders in Biratnagar. The conference brought inter-provincial chief ministers together, and Pandey used the occasion to raise concerns about how federal responsibilities are being shared. His argument was that the effectiveness of provincial government depends not only on the formal creation of provinces, but also on whether those governments can exercise their constitutionally granted rights.
Gaps in policing, administration and land ownership
Pandey identified the absence of provincial police, administrative structures and land ownership as major constraints. He said these gaps make it difficult for provinces to address public security, respond to disasters and carry out development work. The problems he described are connected: without the necessary institutions and authority, provincial governments have less capacity to act on the responsibilities they are expected to manage.
Public security was one area he highlighted. Pandey said the lack of police at the provincial level limits the provinces’ ability to carry out security-related work. He also pointed to the absence of administrative structures, which he said hinders the functioning of provincial government. His comments linked these institutional gaps to wider questions about whether provinces have the means to fulfil their role within the federal system.
He also cited the lack of land ownership as an obstacle to provincial work. According to Pandey, this issue, alongside the shortage of police and administrative structures, hampers development efforts and disaster management. He did not identify specific projects or incidents, but presented the problems as broader constraints facing provinces as they seek to carry out their duties.
Dispute over power-sharing and accountability
At the centre of Pandey’s criticism is the relationship between responsibility and authority. He said provinces are being blamed even as key powers remain with the federal government. His remarks suggest that accountability cannot be fairly assigned to provincial governments if they are not given the rights and resources required to perform the functions expected of them.
Pandey also stressed that constitutional provisions need to be put into practice. He said the federal government has not shown sufficient attention to implementing provincial rights or distributing responsibilities. For the chief minister, the issue is therefore not simply whether the constitution recognises provincial powers, but whether those powers are actually made available to provincial governments.
His intervention in Biratnagar adds to the debate over how federalism should operate in practice. Pandey’s position is that provinces need the authority and institutional foundations to address security, disaster response and development, rather than being left with responsibilities that they cannot fully exercise. He warned that without meaningful implementation of constitutional rights, the federal system will not deliver the role promised to provinces.
