The provincial government, which has been embroiled in internal management for a long time after the Gen-G movement and the arson attacks on ministries, the provincial assembly building, and various offices, is finding it difficult to even implement the popular programs it announced itself.
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The Bagmati government, formed by the Congress-UML alliance, has not been able to grow at its pace due to the situation created after the protests on Bhadra 23 and 24 and the budget cut of about 30 percent by the federal government.
The provincial government, which has been embroiled in internal management for a long time after the Gen-G movement and the arson of ministries, provincial assembly buildings and various offices, is finding it difficult to implement the popular programs it announced itself.
The government led by Congress parliamentary party leader Indra Bahadur Baniya has brought forward popular programs such as reducing the number of ministries to cut expenses, eliminating syndicates in the transport sector, and providing medical education to underprivileged children, but their implementation has not yet been possible.
Government spokesperson and Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Prabhat Tamang claimed that even though the government is working at its own pace, it will take some time to see results. ‘The government is working. The situation is different now. We have set a target of meeting 70 percent of the budget this year,’ said Minister Tamang. He said that preparations are underway to hold a provincial assembly meeting soon. The provincial government seems to be failing in the operation of the provincial assembly, making new laws, providing business to the house, selecting the speaker, budget expenditure and managing ministries and offices.
The provincial assembly has been stalled for 4 months
The Bagmati provincial assembly meeting has been uncertain for 4 months. The provincial assembly meeting has been in limbo since the resignation of Speaker Bhuwan Kumar Pathak after the Gen-G movement and the lack of agreement between the ruling parties Congress and UML on the vacant speaker post.
The post of speaker fell vacant after Speaker Pathak submitted his written resignation on Asoj 1. According to Ram Kumar Poudel, secretary of the provincial assembly secretariat, no information has been received from the government for the meeting. Although the government has prepared to hold the provincial assembly meeting at the end of Kartik, it has started moving the date and saying that it will be held in the third week of Poush. ‘We have made all the preparations for the provincial assembly meeting,’ said Secretary Poudel.
After the provincial assembly building was completely damaged in the arson, preparations were made to temporarily repair and paint the Chief Minister's Hall in front of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers' Offices and hold the meeting. On the government's recommendation, Provincial Chief Deepak Prasad Devkota had ended the provincial assembly session from the night of Mangsir 30. However, the government has delayed calling the meeting due to the lack of agreement between the two ruling parties on the vacant speaker post.
Currently, two new bills have been registered in the parliament and one is under consideration. One bill is under discussion in the parliamentary committee. Both the Congress and the UML have been claiming the post of speaker. UML Parliamentary Party Chief Whip Ekalal Shrestha said that his party's claim to the post of speaker is natural since the Congress is the Chief Minister. Pukar Maharjan, Chief Whip of the Congress Bagmati Provincial Parliamentary Party, said that the ruling parties have their own claims on the post of speaker and that they could not reach an agreement.
The opposition parties in the provincial assembly have warned that if the provincial government does not immediately convene the winter session of the provincial assembly, they will proceed according to the provincial assembly regulations. The Maoist Center, the Unified Socialist Party and Hamro Nepali Party have submitted a memorandum to Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya, warning that procedural steps will be taken if the session is not convened. The opposition parties have accused the government of not being accountable to the parliament and of trying to evade the parliament for a long time. The memorandum accuses the government of ‘putting oil in its ears’ by closing the provincial assembly, a place where the people’s voices can be heard. The opposition party alleges that the winter session was abruptly ended due to the government’s irresponsibility.
In the parliamentary system, if the government does not convene the session, according to the provincial assembly regulations, a special session or meeting can be called upon the request of one-fourth of the MPs, and the same procedure has been warned to be followed. They allege that the provincial assembly has also been held hostage to indecision at a time when the country is in crisis and even the federal parliament has been dissolved.
Weak budget expenditure
The Bagmati Province government has been seen to be weak in its income and expenditure for the current fiscal year 2082/083. The provincial government has spent only 9.85 percent of the total budget in the 5 months of the current fiscal year.
For the current fiscal year, the provincial government has brought a budget of 67.47 billion 73 million 27 thousand, of which 9.85 percent or 6.64 billion 62 million 8 thousand has been spent in the 5 months.
Of which 1.85 billion 36 million or 4.47 percent has been spent on capital expenditure and 4.79 billion 25 million or 18.41 percent has been spent on current expenditure. Among the ministries, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning has spent the highest budget at 21.78 percent and the Ministry of Culture and Tourism has spent the lowest at 1.48 percent.
The Ministry of Health has spent 20.54 percent, the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Transport 19.55 percent, the Ministry of Social Development 10.70 percent, the Ministry of Youth and Sports 4.84 percent, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development 7.12 percent, the Ministry of Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation 9.69 percent.
The Ministry of Forest and Environment has spent 11.49 percent, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law 10.90 percent, the Ministry of Drinking Water, Energy and Irrigation 4.44 percent, the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development 10.87 percent, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce, Land and Administration 13.12 percent of the budget.
The Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers has spent 13.71 percent, the Provincial Assembly Secretariat 24.50 percent, the Provincial Public Service Commission 29.90 percent, the Office of the Chief Advocate 23.67 percent, and the Provincial Policy and Planning Commission 19.04 percent of the budget.
The provincial government has collected only 23.88 percent of the revenue target in the first 5 months of the current fiscal year. According to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning, 16.11 billion 7.82 million, or 23.88 percent, was collected out of an estimated 67.47 billion 7.3 million. Real estate registration (property tax) and vehicle tax are considered the main sources of revenue collection for the provincial government.
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