6.4 Interrelations between Federal, State and Local Level

The Nepali design mixes conflict rules with cooperation machinery: Legislative hierarchy: federal law prevails on conflict; provincial law must respect federal law, local law both (Article 57(6)–(7)) — a hierarchy of norms; Cooperation instruments: intergovernmental coordination conventions and forums; treaty- making on Schedule-6 subjects requires consulting the province (Article 278(2)); provincial consent for boundary amendments (Article 274); the Inter-Provincial Council as the political dispute-settling forum (Article 234 — PM, key ministers, all Chief Ministers); Judicial umpiring: inter-level competence disputes go to the Supreme Court's Constitutional Bench (Article 137) — Nepal's young but growing federalism case law; Fiscal relations: revenue sharing and transfers channelled through the budget and the Fiscal Commission's recommendations — cooperation by chequebook; Emergency override: in emergency (Article 273) federal authority re-concentrates — a centralising safety valve (Unit 17). The honest note: Nepal's intergovernmental practice is still maturing — federal dominance (standard-setting, delayed framework legislation, budget leverage), provincial capacity gaps, and coordination of concurrent subjects (education, forests) are the standing frictions. The design is cooperative on paper, still negotiating cooperation in practice.