The lack of guidelines on vehicle operation and maintenance has prevented vehicle maintenance costs from being controlled in Lumbini Province.

In the last 6 years, the Lumbini Provincial Assembly Secretariat has spent more than Rs 22 million on vehicle maintenance alone.

The Provincial Assembly has not yet been able to prepare a vehicle operation and maintenance guide. The expenses for vehicle maintenance and operation have been made according to the Service Facilities Act prescribed for the office bearers and members of the Provincial Assembly. The Provincial Assembly has been paying the vehicle maintenance expenses based on the bills submitted by the office bearers and members based on the same criteria.

According to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, Rs 5,398,619 was spent on vehicle maintenance in the fiscal year 2081/082. This amount spent on 20 vehicles is excluding fuel. Out of the 20 vehicles, the highest expenditure is seen on the vehicle used by former Speaker Purna Bahadur Gharti. The vehicle number BAA 1301 used by him in the last fiscal year cost Rs 616,326. Former Speaker Gharti returned this vehicle last year. Similarly, Rs 537,632 was spent on the repair of vehicle number BAA 1306 driven by Ramji Prasad Ghimire, Chairman of the Physical Infrastructure and Development Committee. The cost of vehicle number BAA 1303 driven by Maya Pun, Chairman of the Provincial Assembly Public Accounts Committee, is Rs 51,692.

Rs 426,244 was spent on the repair of vehicle number BAA 1300 driven by Bishwaprem Pathak, Chairman of the Agriculture, Forestry and Environment Committee. The Provincial Assembly Secretariat has stated that Rs 16,566 was spent on the repair of vehicle number Lu 1 Jha 679 driven by Maoist Center Parliamentary Party leader and former Chief Minister Jokh Bahadur Mahara.

The Secretariat has provided two vehicles to Speaker Tularam Gharti Magar. Of these, Rs 469,000 was spent on the repair of vehicle number Ba 1 Jha 9729, and Rs 80,183 was spent on the repair of vehicle number Province 03-01-002 Jha 5244 in the same year.

Rs 69,452 was spent on the repair of another vehicle number Ba 2 Jha 2284, which is being used in the Speaker's Secretariat. Maya Pun, chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee of the Provincial Assembly, said that the vehicles provided as facilities are old and break down when they reach remote villages for monitoring, resulting in higher costs. 'The amount spent on vehicle repair in the Provincial Assembly has increased,' she said, 'it is necessary to regulate it.' However, many of the vehicles are old and break down when they reach remote villages for monitoring, resulting in higher costs.'

The Provincial Assembly Secretariat currently has 20 four-wheeled vehicles. More than Rs 22.5 million has been spent on the repair of these vehicles in 6 years. According to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, Rs. 46,87,769 was spent on vehicle maintenance in 2076/077, Rs. 31,87,435 in 2077/078, Rs. 30,64,586 in 2078/079, Rs. 26,31,188 in 2079/080 and Rs. 39,33,771 in 2080/081. The Provincial Assembly Secretariat has 15 four-wheeled vehicles till 2080/081 and 20 four-wheeled vehicles till 2081/082. The Provincial Assembly has been providing vehicle facilities along with drivers to the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, Chairmen of Parliamentary Committees, Leaders of Parliamentary Parties and Chief Whips. The Federal Government's Vehicle Operation and Directive No. 8, 2072, provides that officials who receive vehicle facilities will be provided with Rs. 5,000 per month for maintenance for 3 years if the vehicle is new. Similarly, there is a provision to provide Rs 10,000 per month to special category officials who use vehicles older than 3 years and Rs 7,000 to first category officials for maintenance. However, the provincial government has not yet been able to formulate a vehicle maintenance operation guideline. In the absence of a provincial guideline, the federal government's guideline is mandatory. However, the Lumbini government has not been able to implement it either.

Lumbini Provincial Assembly Secretary Durlabh Kumar Pun Magar said that the expenses increase as vehicles get older. 'Honorable sirs, we have to reach very remote places in the province,' he said, 'as vehicles get older, they break down faster and the expenses increase.'

The Provincial Assembly Secretariat is making efforts to reduce expenses and is also preparing to formulate a law, he said. Dil Kumari Budha, Chairperson of the Provincial Affairs and Law Committee, claimed that she has been facing inconvenience while traveling due to the old vehicles. 'I am from Rukum East. "You have to travel a lot off-road," she said. "The vehicles provided by the provincial assembly are not suitable for driving on the hilly roads. I suffered a lot when the vehicle broke down on the way." She said that it is natural for expenses to increase after the vehicle broke down on the way.