Nepal, Jan. 4 -- The chief ministers of all seven provinces met last week in Hetauda to discuss their next step to pressure the federal government to devolve political power to their provinces.

In a unique cross-party show of strength, the provincial leadership presented a joint memorandum to Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal in Kathmandu. Some of their demands were to transfer control of the police force, pass the long pending federal civil service law, hand over ownership of provincial infrastructure and natural resources, and last but not least, allow them to collect their own revenue.

This is not the first time the provinces have expressed their collective grievance. But Kathmandu, under various governments since the first electio...