Chief Ministers stress securing rights of provinces

By Shashidhar Parajuli, Biratnagar, Oct. 15: The Chief Ministers of the provinces have made a joint commitment to comprehensive economic partnership, placing the country’s economic development, interprovincial connectivity and strengthening of fiscal federalism at the forefront of their priorities.

The ‘Inter-Provincial Chief Ministers’ Conference 2026’, that opened in Biratnagar, Koshi Province on Tuesday concluded with the joint issuance of the ‘Koshi Declaration 2026’ on Wednesday. 

Signed by the chief ministers of all seven provinces, the declaration focuses on economic and infrastructure development and the securing of provincial rights.

Taking into account the comparative advantages, economic potential and market expansion opportunities of the provinces, the conference decided to expand interprovincial roads, agricultural corridors, and production, storage, packaging, branding and industrial market networks.

The declaration states that feasibility studies will be undertaken, in collaboration with all three tiers of government and the private sector, to establish direct air links between provinces along strategic routes such as Biratnagar-Pokhara, Surkhet-Bhairahawa, Pokhara-Surkhet, Janakpur-Pokhara and Bhairahawa-Dhangadhi. It also calls for the expansion of extensive tourism circuits.