Chief Ministers from all seven provinces are scheduled to meet in Biratnagar on October 8 and 9 to discuss challenges in implementing federalism, shared provincial concerns and practices that could be replicated across the country.

The Koshi provincial government will host the conference at its headquarters in Biratnagar. Koshi Chief Minister Hikmat Kumar Karki said the meeting would seek to strengthen coordination among the provinces and help develop common approaches to economic growth and good governance.

“By discussing the challenges seen in federalism and the good practices adopted by the provinces, we will seek a path towards economic prosperity and good governance,” Karki said.

The provincial governments plan to make the conference a regular event and propose a more permanent forum for coordination and cooperation among chief ministers, Karki added.

Taranath Niraula, vice-chair of the Koshi Province Planning Commission, said discussions in the conference would focus on successful provincial programmes, problems encountered in implementing federalism and areas requiring greater cooperation.

“There will also be interaction on the problems faced by the provinces, coordination required with local units and the federal government, and legal issues as well,” Niraula told the Post.

The meeting comes after several attempts to bring provincial executive heads together. The first gathering of chief ministers from all seven provinces was held in 2018 under then-Gandaki Chief Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung. At the time, most provinces had not yet been named. A conference planned by the Lumbini provincial government in January 2023 was cancelled at the last hour. Then, in July 2023, chief ministers from six provinces, excluding Koshi, met in Pokhara.

Koshi officials said this year’s meeting would also explore inter-provincial trade and investment opportunities. Chief Minister Karki’s economic adviser Mohan Subedi said bilateral and multilateral agreements could be reached to promote the movement of goods between provinces.

“We will also discuss various possibilities for economic prosperity, including inter-provincial trade and investment,” he said.

The conference will be coordinated by the Koshi Province Planning Commission. Planning commission officials, provincial chief attorneys and senior government officials will also attend the conference.

The chief ministers are also scheduled to visit tourist destinations including Barahachhetra, Bhedetar and Kanyam, among others.

“This forum could help the provinces identify common problems,” said Koshi’s Chief Secretary Narayan Prasad Bhatta, “and move towards solutions.”