Madhesh Province
Madhesh Province
मधेश प्रदेश | |
---|---|
Clockwise from top Janaki Mandir, Gateway of Nepal Birgunj, Gadhimai Temple, Chinnamasta Bhagawati Temple, and Kankalini Temple | |
Country | Nepal |
Formation | 20 September 2015 |
Capital City | Janakpur[1] |
Largest city | Birgunj |
Districts | 8 |
Government | |
• Type | Self governing province |
• Body | Government of Madhesh Province |
• Governor | Hari Shankar Mishra[2] |
• Chief Minister | Lalbabu Raut |
• High Court | Janakpur High Court |
• Provincial Assembly | Unicameral (107 seats) |
• Parliamentary constituency | 32 |
Area | |
• Total | 9,661 km2 (3,730 sq mi) |
• Rank | 7th |
Population (2021) | |
• Total | 6,126,288 |
• Rank | 1st |
• Density | 630/km2 (1,600/sq mi) |
• Rank | 1st |
Time zone | UTC+5:45 (NST) |
Area code | 041 |
Official language | Nepali |
Other Official language(s) | 1. Maithili 2. Bhojpuri 3. Bajjika |
HDI | 0.519 (low) |
Literacy | 52.28% |
Sex ratio | 101.2 ♂ /100 ♀ (2011) |
GDP | US$5.37 billion |
GDP rank | 4th |
Website | https://provincialassembly.p2.gov.np/ |
Madhesh Province (Maithili: मधेश प्रदेश) is a province in the Mithila region of Nepal that was formed after the adoption of the Constitution of Nepal. It is Nepal's most populous province,[3] and smallest province by area. It borders Province No. 1 to the east, Bagmati Province to the north, and India’s Bihar state to the south. It has an area of 9,661 km2 (3,730 sq mi)-about 6.5% of the country's total area. It has a population of 6,126,288 as per the 2021 Nepal census, making it the most populated province of Nepal.[4][5]
The Koshi River and Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve acts as provincial demarcation border between Madhesh Province and Province No.1 in the east. And the demarcation line between Chitwan National Park and Parsa National Park (previously Wildlife Reserve) acts as provincial demarcation border between Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province in the west.
The province includes eight districts from Saptari District in the east to Parsa District in the west. The majority of the province's population speaks Maithili, Bhojpuri and Nepali and Bajjika.[4]
The Capital city, a sub-metropolitan city of Janakpur, also known as Janakpurdham,[6] is a centre for religious and cultural tourism.[7] It is also thought to have been the capital of the Videha dynasty that ruled Mithila region in ancient times.[6]
The first urban planned municipality of Nepal, Rajbiraj, is also the oldest municipality of the Terai belt of Nepal.[8][9] The town is believed to have been named after the ancient Rajdevi temple, which dates back to the 1700s. The metropolitan city of Birgunj is an economically important industrial centre and the only metropolitan city in the province.[10][11][12][13][14][15]
On 17 January 2022, the meeting of Provincial assembly declared Janakpur as capital of Province No. 2 while the province was renamed to Madhesh Province.[16] Hari Shankar Mishra is the Head of Province while Mohammad Lalbabu Raut Gaddhi is the current Chief Minister.[17]
Etymology
The word madhesh is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit madhya desh (मध्य देश), literally the middle country, which refers to "the central region, the country lying between the Himalaya and the Vindhya mountains".[18][19] However, in the context of Nepal, Madhesh refers to the region in the Nepal Terai located south of the Siwalik Hills.[20][21] Madhesh has also been defined as the cultural and linguistic space existing as a basis for identity among the people of the Terai.[22]
The term Madheshi literally means the people of Madhesh, but it is in fact a political term used by the Hill Nepalis (the paharis) to refer to "non-pahadis with plains languages as their mother tongue, regardless of their place of birth or residence".[21]
The term Madheshi became a widely recognised name for Nepali citizens with an Indian cultural background only after 1990.[23][24]
Notable People
Notable people from the Madhesh Province of Nepal include Dr. Ram Ray, an Associate Professor and Researcher, who has made hundreds of publications and has made contributions to knowledge about landslide hazards.[25]
Presence at National level
As a political center of the region, its home to prominent leaders like Ram Baran Yadav, Bimalendra Nidhi and Pradeep Giri from the Nepali Congress, Mahantha Thakur from Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nepal, Matrika Yadav from CPN (Maoist Centre) and Dharmanath Prasad Sah, Bansidhar Mishra, Ram Chandra Jha from the CPN (Unified Socialist) who have been ministers at various point of time and are still active at National level.[26] In local level, Nepali congress remains the single largest party.[27]
Geography
The region is surrounded by:[28]
- The Sunsari District of Province No. 1 to the East.
- The Chitwan District of Bagmati Province to the West.
- The Makwanpur District and Sindhuli District of Bagmati Province and Udayapur District of Province No. 1 to the North.
- India to the South.
As per Central Bureau of Statistics(CBS)[29] the province covers about 9,661 km2 (3,730 sq mi). of Nepal's total area of 147,516 km2 (56,956 sq mi). with total number of 5,404,145 inhabitants(2011), it is the second most populous province in Nepal after Bagmati.[3][30]
The province is located on flat plains of Terai, and Chure (Churiya) or the Shiwalik Hills are the natural border of the province which falls on the northern side. The southern side has an international border with India. Koshi River on its eastern side acting as a natural border with Province No. 1. Madhesh Province has eight districts in a series (parallel). Koshi River, Bagmati River, Kamla River, Lakhandei River and Bishnumati River are the main rivers of the province.
Location | August
(°F) |
August
(°C) |
January
(°F) |
January
(°C) |
Annual
Precipitation (mm/in) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Gaur | 91/77.9 | 23/9.1 | 73.4/48.4 | 32.8/25.5 | 1590.2/62.6 |
Siraha | 89.6/76.3 | 32/24.6 | 72.1/47.3 | 22.3/8.5 | 1293.1/50.9 |
Birgunj | 84.7 | 29.3 | 60.8 | 16 | 1862.2/73.3 |
Jaleshwar | 84.4 | 29.1 | 61.2 | 16.2 | 1492.9/58.8 |
Malangwa | 84.4 | 29.1 | 60.8 | 16 | 1817.7/71.6 |
Janakpur | 84.2 | 29 | 60.8 | 16 | 1516.5/59.7 |
Rajbiraj | 83.3 | 28.5 | 60.4 | 15.8 | 1223.3/48.2 |
Lahan | 83.3 | 28.5 | 60.3 | 15.7 | 1231.4/48.5 |
Government and Administration
Executive
The Governor acts as the head of the province while the Chief Minister is the head of the provincial government. The present Governor and Chief Minister are Hari Shankar Mishra and Mohammad Lalbabu Raut respectively.[32][33]
Legislative
The province has 107 provincial assembly constituencies and 32 House of Representative constituencies.[34]
Madhesh Province has a unicameral legislature, like all of the other provinces in Nepal. The term length of provincial assembly is five years. The Provincial Assembly of Madhesh Province is temporarily housed at the District Education Office in Janakpur.[35]
Party | Parliamentary party leader | Seats | |
---|---|---|---|
People's Socialist Party, Nepal | Mohammad Lalbabu Raut | 39 | |
Nepali Congress | Ram Saroj Yadav | 22 | |
Loktantrik Samajbadi Party, Nepal | Jitendra Prasad Sonal | 16 | |
CPN(Unified Socialist) | Satrudhan Mahato | 13 | |
CPN(UML) | Satya Narayan Mandal | 8 | |
CPN(Maoist centre) | Bharat Sah | 8 | |
Nepal Federal Socialist Party | Sabitri Devi Shah | 1 | |
Total | 107 |
Judiciary
The Chief Judge of the Janakpur High Court is the head of the judiciary.[36] The acting chief justice is Binod Sharma.[37]
Administrative subdivisions
Madhesh Province is divided into eight districts, which are listed below. A district is administrated by the head of the District Coordination Committee and the District Administration Officer. The districts are further divided into municipalities or rural municipalities. The municipalities include one metropolitan city, three sub-metropolitan cities, and 73 municipalities. There are 59 rural municipalities in the province.[38]
Name | Headquarters | Population (2011) |
---|---|---|
Sarlahi District | Malangawa | 769,729 |
Dhanusha District | Janakpur | 754,777 |
Bara District | Kalaiya | 687,708 |
Rautahat District | Gaur | 686,722 |
Saptari District | Rajbiraj | 639,284 |
Siraha District | Siraha | 637,328 |
Mahottari District | Jaleshwar | 627,580 |
Parsa District | Birgunj | 601,017 |
Local level government
Party | Head | Deputy Head | Ward Chair | Ward Members | Total | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Nepali Congress | 48 | 57 | 429 | 1,692 | 2,226 | |
CPN (Unified Marxist–Leninist) | 30 | 27 | 274 | 1,137 | 1,468 | |
People's Socialist Party, Nepal | 25 | 26 | 226 | 930 | 1,207 | |
Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, Nepal | 14 | 10 | 87 | 372 | 483 | |
CPN (Maoist Centre) | 9 | 9 | 139 | 523 | 680 | |
CPN (Unified Socialist) | 6 | 5 | 80 | 310 | 401 | |
Janamat Party | 2 | 1 | 13 | 46 | 62 | |
Bibeksheel Sajha Party | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 11 | |
Terai Madhesh Loktantrik Party | 1 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 12 | |
Rastriya Prajatantra Party | 0 | 0 | 6 | 24 | 30 | |
Bahujan Ekata Party Nepal | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
Nepal Loktantrik Party | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
Nepal Janata Party | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
Nepal Susashan Party | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
Bahujan Shakti Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Nepal Sadbhwana Party | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
Independents | 0 | 0 | 8 | 12 | 34 | |
Total | 136 | 136 | 1,271 | 5,078 | 6,621 | |
Source: Election Commission of Nepal[39] (2022 election) |
Demographics
According to the 2011 Nepal Census,the Province has a population of 5,391,349: 2,706,078 males and 2,685,271 females. The province has the second highest population in the country having 20.35%, and is the densest province in the country with a density of 640 people per square kilometer.[39]
Ethnic groups
Madhesis are the largest ethnic group in the province, while Maithils (Maithili speaking people) are the largest ethnolinguistic group. Yadav is the largest group among the Madhesis in the province making up around 14.80% of the population. Muslims are the second largest group making up 11.59% of the population. Teli (5.10%), Koiri/Kushwaha (4.56%), Chamar (4.22%), Dhanuk (3.49%), Musahar (3.02%), Kurmi (2.83%), Dusadh/Paswan (2.79%), Mallaah (2.26%), Maithil Brahmin (2.2%), and Karan Kayastha (1.5%) are other Madhesi pandit (8.0) groups in the province.[39]
Hill Brahmans and Chhetris are the largest Khas Arya group in the province making up 2.34% and 1.99% of the population respectively. Tharu (5.27%) is the largest non-Madhesi, non-Khas Arya group followed by Tamang (2.17%).[39]
Languages
Maithili (including its dialect Bajjika) is spoken as the mother tongue by 60.04% of the population in the province and Bhojpuri is spoken by 18.59% and of the population. Despite being the province's official language, Nepali is spoken as their mother tongue by only 6.56% of the population. Urdu (5.88%), Tharu (3.77%) and Tamang (1.94%) are other languages spoken in the province by a significant minority population.[39]
The Language Commission of Nepal has recommended Maithili, Bajjika and Bhojpuri as official language in the province. The commission has also recommended Urdu, Tharu and Tamang to be additional official languages, for specific regions and purposes in the province.[40]
Religion
Hinduism is the most followed religion in the province being followed by 84.75% of the population. Islam is the second largest religion with 11.55% of the population being Muslims and Buddhism is followed by 3.01% of the population.[39]
Cities
Rank | District | Pop. | Rank | District | Pop. | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Birgunj Janakpur |
1 | Birgunj | Parsa | 240,922 | 11 | Bardibas | Mahottari | 66,354 | Kalaiya Jeetpur Simara |
2 | Janakpur | Dhanusha | 159,468 | 12 | Ishwarpur | Sarlahi | 59,986 | ||
3 | Kalaiya | Bara | 123,659 | 13 | Lalbandi | Sarlahi | 59,395 | ||
4 | Jeetpur Simara | Bara | 117,496 | 14 | Jaleshwor | Mahottari | 58,549 | ||
5 | Lahan | Siraha | 91,766 | 15 | Mahagadhimai | Bara | 54,474 | ||
6 | Siraha | Siraha | 82,531 | 16 | Golbazar | Siraha | 51,137 | ||
7 | Chandrapur | Rautahat | 72,059 | 17 | Garuda | Rautahat | 50,481 | ||
8 | Barahathwa | Sarlahi | 69,822 | 18 | Mirchaiya | Siraha | 50,079 | ||
9 | Rajbiraj | Saptari | 69,086 | 19 | Simraungadh | Bara | 49,939 | ||
10 | Gaushala | Mahottari | 66,673 | 20 | Manara Shiswa | Mahottari | 49,692 |
Infrastructure
Transport
Madhesh Province has no difficult terrains. However, Province is the only province with a passenger serviceable railway line in Nepal.
Roadways
The major connecting link for the province is the Mahendra Highway (East-West Highway) which runs longitudinally across the province. All major cities of the province remain disconnected from this highway. Janakpurdham, Rajbiraj , Birgunj and Gaur lie 25,10, 24 and 42 kilometres south of the Mahendra Highway, respectively.[41] The Tribhuvan Highway does not cross as much of the province as the Mahendra Highway, but it is most important link as it connects the province to Kathmandu and to the India.[42] The starting point of Tribhuvan Highway i.e. Birgunj is the most important International Gateway and trade way for this province and entire country and hence known as "The Gateway of Nepal". In terms of revenue generation, Birgunj custom point is the largest. Birendra Highway which is connected to Mahendra highway from Headquarter of Rautahat district Gaur to the Chandranigahapur is 42 km in length.
- Mahendra Highway (East West Highway) - Part
- Postal Highway - Part
- Tribhuvan Highway - Part
- BP Highway - part
Railways
A few other railway projects are under progress in the Madesh province All these projects are of Nepal Railways. Government of Nepal has proposed Janakpur as a Main Station for 1024 km east-west Metro Railway project and further be extended to India and China for connecting Nepal Railways with Indian Railways and China Railway for business and tourism promotion.[43]
- Janakpur (Nepal) to Lhasa (China)
- Bardibas, Janakpur (Nepal) to Jainagar, Bihar (India)
- Janakpur (Nepal) to Kathmandu (Nepal)
- Janakpur (Nepal) to Biratnagar (Nepal)
- Janakpur (Nepal) to Nepalgunj (Nepal)
- Janakpur (Nepal) to Birgunj (Nepal)
Domestic Airports: Madhesh province has three domestic airports in use which are the busiest among the country.
- Rajbiraj Airport in Rajbiraj
- Janakpur Airport in Janakpur
- Simara Airport in Pipara Simara (BARA) close to Kaliaya and Birgunj
International Airport:
- Nijgadh International Airport in Nijgadh is under construction.
See also
- Provinces of Nepal
- List of districts in Nepal
- Mahendra Narayan Nidhi Awas Yojana
- Nepali Congress, Madhesh Province
References
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