The implementation of Nepal’s federal provincial structure is nearing a decade, while the second term of the Sudurpaschim Provincial Assembly is in its final year. During this period, the province has seen five changes in chief minister and frequent Cabinet reshuffles.

Since Tuesday, efforts to change the chief minister have resumed, but the question of the permanent provincial capital remains unresolved, with no clear timeline for a decision.

Seven years have passed since the Provincial Assembly, with a two-thirds majority, formally designated Godawari in Kailali as the permanent capital of Sudurpaschim Province. However, the decision has not been implemented, and there is still no concrete progress.

The decision was taken in a Provincial Assembly meeting on September 28, 2018, when lawmakers approved Teghari in ward 4 of Godawari Municipality, as the site for the provincial capital. Following the announcement, the provincial government allocated budgets in two consecutive fiscal years for infrastructure development.

Despite these measures, the decision has not been implemented. The province continues to operate from temporary offices in Dhangadhi, which was designated as the temporary capital.

The capital was decided when the then Nepal Communist Party had a two-thirds majority in the Provincial Assembly. The Nepali Congress, then in opposition, boycotted the assembly session in protest. In the vote, 38 lawmakers supported the proposal, while 12 from the Congress and two from the Rastriya Janata Party abstained.

Soon after the decision, petitions were filed at the Supreme Court, challenging the move, arguing that establishing the capital in Godawari would require clearing forest land. The petitioners, Manish Kumar Shrestha and Devi Kumari Joshi, claimed the decision would destroy a biological corridor.

The case remains under consideration, according to Thekendra Prasad Joshi, the province’s attorney general. He said the court didn't bar the implementation of the decision after preliminary hearings, but the case has seen little progress since.

Former Attorney General Kulananda Upadhyaya said the case has been repeatedly deferred. He added that the legal proceedings themselves are not the main obstacle. “The court has not issued a stay order. The issue is not the case, but the lack of land use permission,” he said.

Meanwhile, no government has taken decisive steps to implement the capital plan. Lawmakers briefly raised the issue in the provincial assembly last year, but it was not pursued further. Lawmaker Shiva Singh Oli argued that reluctance to implement the decision had stalled progress and called for an alternative location if necessary.

After the decision, the provincial government formally requested the federal Ministry of Forests and the Prime Minister’s Office in January 2019 for permission to use 444 bighas (301 hectares) of land in the designated area. The request specified that only the required land would be used, while the rest would remain protected forest.

However, the federal government has not granted land use approval, halting the project. “The implementation could not proceed because the Forest Ministry did not grant land rights,” Upadhyaya said, adding that multiple attempts were made to secure approval.

Former chief minister Trilochan Bhatta said repeated appeals were made to federal authorities, including the prime minister, for land approval. He said construction would have begun long ago if approval had been granted.

With Godawari stalled, the incumbent government led by Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah had also explored the possibility of establishing the capital within Dhangadhi. Social Development Minister Meghraj Khadka said discussions had taken place at the federal level and among senior political leaders, but no decision was reached due to changing political circumstances.

The government is now considering a 13-bigha (8.8 hectares) area spanning the Chief Minister’s Office and the Drinking Water Office in Dhangadhi as a possible site.

There were also informal discussions among leaders about relocating the capital to the fish farming centre area in Geta. However, any change in capital location requires a two-thirds majority in the Provincial Assembly.

At present, the ruling coalition of Congress and CPN-UML does not command a two-thirds majority, meaning support from opposition parties would be necessary.

The capital debate has also influenced land prices in areas around Godawari and Attariya. Local business operators say land prices doubled after the initial announcement, rising from around Rs3 million per kattha (338.63 square metres) to Rs6 million. Prices have since stabilised amid continued uncertainty.

Chief Minister Shah has repeatedly said the earlier decision may be reconsidered, citing unresolved disputes over Godawari and delays in infrastructure development. He has also said he has urged federal leaders, including former Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal, to help find a resolution.

Meanwhile, significant public funds continue to be spent on maintaining temporary government offices in Dhangadhi. According to the provincial financial comptroller’s office, Rs275.3 million was spent on maintenance over the past six fiscal years, from 2018-19 to 2023-24.

Offices of the Chief Minister; the Ministry of Economic Affairs; the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development; the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment; the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives; the Ministry of Social Development; the Ministry of Home Affairs; the provincial accounts office; the Attorney General’s Office; and the Public Service Commission continue to operate from temporary buildings, with annual maintenance costs recurring.

An official at the Ministry of Economic Affairs said permanent infrastructure would have prevented repeated annual expenditure on temporary arrangements.