UML lawmakers are accusing the Congress of monopolizing the budget, while Chief Minister Shah has been claiming that sufficient budget has been allocated to the ministry led by the UML.
We use Google Cloud Translation Services. Google requires we provide the following disclaimer relating to use of this service:
This service may contain translations powered by Google. Google disclaims all warranties related to the translations, expressed or implied, including any warranties of accuracy, reliability, and any implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and noninfringement.
There are only two days left for the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84 to be presented in the provincial assembly on Asad 1 by the Sudurpaschim provincial government. The provincial assembly in Dhangadhi is deserted as the budget could not be discussed. But the Congress has called Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah to Kathmandu to discuss the budget dispute of the Sudurpaschim province.
Chief Minister Shah reached Kathmandu on Monday and is holding discussions with top leaders of the Congress. Chief Minister Shah said that he informed Congress President Gagan Thapa, Deputy President Bishwaprakash Sharma, General Secretary Pradeep Poudel and others about the budget dispute and the dispute with the UML. 'Our party's top leaders have decided to meet the UML president and have a serious discussion,' he said.
There is a disagreement between the ruling party Congress and the UML over budget allocation. UML MPs are claiming that the Congress has monopolized the budget, while Chief Minister Shah has been saying that sufficient budget has been allocated to the ministries led by the UML. In the meantime, the UML parliamentary party has decided to reject the budget through a meeting. The budget of the Sudurpaschim Province government is in turmoil after the UML, which is in the government, registered a proposal for expenditure cuts at the Provincial Assembly Secretariat on Friday.
After the UML MPs registered a proposal for expenditure cuts in the budget, Chief Minister Shah had asked the UML on Saturday to withdraw the proposal or leave the government. The bitterness between the two parties has increased further after the Chief Minister asked the UML to leave the government.
Chief Minister Shah had asked the ministers and parliamentary party leader Rajendra Singh Rawal and the ministers in the government from the UML to leave the government or withdraw the proposal.
Four people from UML, including a minister of state, are included in the Congress-led Far West provincial government. Surendra Bahadur Pal is the minister of state for physical infrastructure development, Bir Bahadur Thapa is the minister of state for land management, agriculture and cooperatives, Hira Sarki is the minister of state for internal affairs and law, and Nirmala Devi Saund is the minister of state for physical infrastructure development.
Meanwhile, the UML has said that it will not leave the government but has challenged the minister to be removed if possible. UML Chief Whip Chakra Bahadur Malla said that the UML did not join the government due to the favor of the Congress, and the Congress has forgotten that it is a partnership government. ‘The Chief Minister hijacked the budget. The current budget is the most chaotic budget so far,’ said Chief Whip Malla. ‘The Chief Minister had to withdraw the presented budget, and we will withdraw the proposal to cut expenses.’
According to the decision of the UML parliamentary party, three MPs, Chief Whip Chakra Bahadur Malla, Deputy Leader of the party Santosh Kumari Sharma Thapa and Daman Bahadur Bhandari, have registered a proposal for expenditure cuts. Under the government's budget for the fiscal year 083/84, Malla has proposed to reduce the expenditure of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, Sharma Thapa has proposed to reduce the expenditure of the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment, and Bhandari has proposed to maintain one rupee for the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law. They have registered the proposal according to the decision of the UML parliamentary party.
Even as of Tuesday, the MPs of the Congress, which is leading the Sudurpaschim government, and the ruling partner party UML have remained steadfast in their decision not to pass the budget presented for the upcoming fiscal year 083/84.
After the strong dissatisfaction of the MPs of the ruling party with the budget presented by the Sudurpaschim government, both the ruling and ruling parties had sent representatives to Dhangadhi last Wednesday to study the situation.
The UML had sent Disciplinary Commission Chairman Pushparaj Kandel and the Congress General Secretary Pradeep Poudel to Dhangadhi. In a separate discussion meeting held by both leaders in Dhangadhi with the MPs of their respective parties, the MPs of both parties said that there was a problem with the budget and that it could not be passed as it is.
The MPs said that UML leader Kandel had said that he would go to the center after listening to the MPs and report. Similarly, when Congress General Secretary Poudel asked UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli to return from the province and discuss the matter at the center, Chief Minister Shah had said that he returned without taking a concrete decision.
Economic Affairs Minister Bikram Singh Dhami had mentioned a total of Rs 37.7 billion for the upcoming fiscal year in his budget speech. But the budget statement booklet, which was made public a day later, mentions 37.7 billion 39 million 66 thousand. Minister Dhami did not even mention the current and capital, ministry-wise allocated amounts in the budget. Due to the government reshuffle in the Far West, the budget could not be passed on time in 2081/82, and the provincial government had a budget of zero.
