All-party meeting being held to finalize name of Province 1

BIRATNAGAR: Parties representing the Provincial Assembly of Province 1 are holding an all-party meeting to discuss and finalize the naming of the province this afternoon.

Speaker of the Province Assembly, Pradeep Kumar Bhandari, has convened the meeting this afternoon.

Province 1 is yet to finalize the name of the province even four years and six months after the formation of the Provincial Assembly.

Although it is the responsibility of the Provincial Assembly to move forward with the nomination proposal, the Speaker has called an all-party meeting to discuss the name issue for the first time.

Chief Minister Rajendra Rai and the coalition partners — CPN Maoist Center, Unified Socialist, Federal Limbuwan National Forum, and Janata Samajwadi Party are in favor of a name that reflects identity.

The main opposition CPN-UML has, however, suggested “Koshi”.