Nepal names Province 3 as Bagmati, maintains Hetauda its capital

Nepal, which is divided into seven provinces, on Sunday named the country's Province 3 as Bagmati and maintained Hetauda as its permanent capital after a majority of the provincial assembly members supported the ruling Nepal Communist Party's move.

The name was decided after 110 provincial assembly members cast their votes to decide the name of the province.

Hetauda, situated 150-kilometre south of Kathmandu, has been named as the capital of Bagmati. The province was named Bagmati after an eponymous, holy river flowing through central Nepal.

A total of 105 members voted for Hetauda to become the provincial capital, whereas 108 votes were cast for deciding Bagmati as the name of the province.

The name and the capital of the province proposed by the ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) was backed by the main Opposition the Nepali Congress and other fringe parties.

Bagmati, which houses the capital city of Kathmandu, has 13 districts.

Nepal has been divided into seven provinces after the country officially adopted federal democratic republic system through the Constitution of Nepal in 2015.

Among seven provinces the names of provinces 1, 2 and 5 are yet to be decided.

Besides Bagmati, there are Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschhim provinces in the country.