The budget was passed after completing the ministerial-level discussions within just three days of the start of the budget debate.
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The budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/084 of the Lumbini Provincial Government has been passed by a majority. The 18th meeting of the eighth session of the Provincial Assembly, held at 8 p.m. on Wednesday night, passed by majority the bill formulated to implement the government's financial proposal.
The bill proposed by Provincial Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Dhanendra Karki was presented for decision by Speaker Tularam Gharti Magar. As a majority of Provincial Assembly members were seen to be in favor of the proposal, it was passed by majority on the basis of a voice vote. Earlier, the 17th meeting held on the same Wednesday had also passed by majority the appropriation bill formulated to make provisions for expenditure from the Provincial Consolidated Fund for the services and functions of the provincial government, which had been presented to the Provincial Assembly by the government.
Finance Minister Karki had unveiled a budget of Rs 37 billion 3 hundred and 84 million 5 hundred thousand for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/084 on 1 Asar. Of the budget, Rs 11 billion 1 hundred and 12 million 7 hundred and 10 thousand has been allocated for recurrent expenditure, and Rs 22 billion 7 hundred and 16 million 5 hundred and 40 thousand for capital expenditure. Provincial Assembly members from the ruling party had been protesting, saying that the budget brought by Minister Karki was minister-centric and that ministers had focused on their own municipalities and electoral constituencies.
After Chief Minister Chet Narayan Acharya, Finance Minister Karki, ministry secretaries, and heads of district-level offices under the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, among others, pledged to submit and implement plans that had been left out in various sectors along with the bill, discussions on the budget began.
Provincial Assembly members from both UML and Congress had been accusing Finance Minister Karki and Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Ratna Bahadur Khatri of focusing the budget on their own electoral constituencies and districts. After it was revealed in the budget's red book that more than Rs 290 million was allocated to Finance Minister Karki's own rural municipality and Rs 400 million to Minister Khatri's electoral constituency, Provincial Assembly members had been protesting.
Both ministers apologized from the rostrum of the Provincial Assembly, admitting errors in budget allocation and project selection. After both ministers apologized in the Provincial Assembly and pledged to correct the issues, discussions on the budget began on 21 Asar. The budget for the upcoming fiscal year was passed after completing ministry-wise discussions in three days.
