Chief of the Gandaki Province Prithviman Gurung said old trends and tendencies continued to remain dominant in political and administrative leadership despite transformation in the country’s governance system following a long struggle.
In his address to the second anniversary of Gandaki Province Public Service Commission held in Pokhara today, he stressed the need to strengthen the province to institutionalise federalism. “The system will be weakened if the centre’s rights were not delegated to the province and local structures as per the spirit of federalism.”
The centrist mindset being manifested in the political leadership and bureaucracy will not allow the federal system to grow and sustain, he lamented.
Gurung further noted that the federal government should delegate the rights except that of sensitive affairs such as foreign policy and national security to the province.
He appreciated the Public Service Commission as an institution that had gained high public trust.
Also, on the occasion, Gandaki Chief Minister Khagaraj Adhikari said the PSC should not lose its credibility and impartiality. He pledged to bring regulation soon to implement the province civil service act. Gandaki Province Speaker Krishna Prasad Dhital called for cooperation from all sides to make the commission more effective.
Chairperson of Province PSC Bishnu Prasad Nepal said its performance had been hampered due to lack of its own building. He also called for support from the province government on issues ranging from legal arrangement to infrastructure management.
A version of this article appears in the print on March 26, 2023, of The Himalayan Times.
