Kathmandu, January 17
A meeting of the Council of Ministers called this morning to appoint province chiefs and name temporary provincial capitals saw a heated dispute over proposed cities for capitals, forcing the Prime Minister to postpone the meeting till 3 pm today.
As soon as Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba proposed that Biratnagar be made temporary capital of Province 1, Minister Sunil Bahadur Thapa demanded that Dhankuta take the place. Likewise, Deputy Prime Minister Kamal Thapa demanded that his home town Hetaunda be made the capital of Province 3.
Likewise, ministers are divided between Butwal and Dang for the capital of Province 5, and between Dipayal and Dhangadhi in Province 5.
After the dispute did not end even after hours, the Prime Minister announced the postponement and rescheduled the meeting for 3 pm today, a minister told Onlinekhabar.
