The Gandaki Provincial Government has made public the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84, prioritizing agricultural sector reforms and local level empowerment. Minister for Economic Affairs Jit Bahadur Sherchan, while delivering his budget speech at the provincial assembly meeting on Monday, informed that Rs 2 billion has been allocated for the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives.

The government has made the slogan 'Improvement in Agriculture: The Basis of Development' the main mantra of the budget, the goal of which is to free agriculture from a compulsory profession and make it a basis for respect and prosperity. For this, a policy has been taken to collaborate with the public, private and community sectors to increase agricultural and livestock production, while special emphasis will be placed on mechanization and marketing in agriculture to increase productivity, Minister Sherchan said.

A grant of Rs 1.99 billion has been allocated in the budget to promote balanced development by developing the local level as a leading partner of the provincial government. Under this financial transfer made in accordance with Article 60 of the Constitution of Nepal, Rs 1.16 billion has been allocated for fiscal equalization, Rs 499.7 million for supplementary grants and Rs 337.4 million for special grants. Minister Sherchan said that necessary arrangements have been made to make this budget to be transferred scientific, performance-based and result-oriented. Similarly, Rs 1.21 billion has been allocated to the Ministry of Forests, prioritizing environmental balance, climate change adaptation and disaster management.

This budget, which gives importance to tourism promotion along with sustainable and quality infrastructure construction, has also paid special attention to the development of modern technology. The budget aims to strengthen the province's economy through information technology, innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) and startup entrepreneurship. Minister Sherchan also expressed his commitment to maintain transparency and accountability by digitally transforming public services. Before presenting the budget, he discussed the current economic situation and challenges of the province, stating that revenue mobilization and fiscal discipline will be strictly followed in the coming year. It is believed that this budget will strengthen cooperation, coexistence and coordination between the federal, provincial and local levels, expand citizens' access to basic services and social security, and achieve the goal of building a prosperous Gandaki province.