KATHMANDU, Jan 10: Province 3 assembly parliamentary party of the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) on Friday decided to name the province as Bagmati and fix Hetauda as its provincial capital.

A meeting of the NCP's Province 3 assembly parliamentary party took a decision to this effect in line with the decision taken by the NCP's central secretariat two weeks ago.

"A session of the provincial assembly scheduled for coming Sunday is likely to name the province as Bagmati and fix Hetauda as its capital through a vote," Anup Poudel, an aide to CM Dormani Poudel told Republica by phone.  

Earlier on December 30, the NCP's central secretariat meeting had instructed the chief minister of Province 3, Poudel, to name the province as Bagmati and fix Hetauda as the provincial capital.

The provincial assembly members of the NCP were at loggerheads over naming the province and fixing its capital.  Even during Friday's meeting, some NCP provincial assembly members expressed their strong reservations. Despite their reservation, the NCP's Province 3 assembly parliamentary party took the formal decision in this connection.

Bhaktapur, Kathmandu and Banepa have been proposed as the prospective provincial capitals.

Of the total seven provinces, provinces 1, 2, 3 and 5 have been struggling to finalize their names and provincial capitals. Province 4 has been named Gandaki Province, Province 6 Karnali Province and Province 7 Sudur Paschim, and their capitals are Pokhara, Surkhet and Dhangadhi respectively.

 
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