No new plan can be brought without raising the ceiling of the budget: Infrastructure Secretary Sharma

He said that the issue of raising the budget ceiling is not open to the principles and priorities of the government, and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport received a ceiling of 124 billion for the financial year 2081/082. He said that the ceiling of 200 billion is necessary for the ministry as it also has to come up with a new plan.

He mentioned that even from the ceiling of 124 billion, there is a situation where the budget needs to be allocated to the old projects and he said that if the ceiling is not increased, nothing new can be done.

In the financial year 2079/080, the budget of our ministry was 165 billion. Although it was increased by only 10 percent, it should have been 182 in 080/081. 131 billion. Now our ceiling for the coming financial year 2081/082 should have been 200 billion,' he said, 'Furthermore, the army's fast track is also on this. Army's fast track is running out of time. Now there should be more budget. But even now the ceiling is only 124 billion. What is our scenario with this 124 billion capital budget, we are running short of budget for plans that have already been contracted.'

He said that he was innocent in the infrastructure committee saying that he would not be able to work without a budget. 'I presented my innocence here. I cannot go beyond the ceiling and allocate the budget. On the basis of the current ceiling, new plans cannot be included in the coming year,' he said.

He said that the condition of the Ministry of Infrastructure is like swimming. 'Work is said. There is a plan. The contract is signed. Work is also being done. But there is a lack of budget, he said.

He informed that the expenditure of the ministry for the current fiscal year has been 29 percent so far.