Pokhara, Aug. 12 -- In a decisive push for fiscal discipline and efficient governance, the Gandaki provincial government has unveiled its most extensive administrative restructuring since the inception of federalism, scrapping nine offices, merging 32 into 17 and cutting 185 positions. The move, officials claim, will trim salary expenses by an estimated Rs400-500 million annually while streamlining service delivery.

The provincial cabinet, in its Monday meeting, approved the reforms based on recommendations from a high-level "Provincial Administrative Structure Review, Study and Suggestion Committee" led by former federal secretary Sharad Chandra Poudel. The panel's report, submitted on June 6, highlighted redundancies, overlapping juris...