KATHMANDU: The Election Commission (EC) has returned Rs 1.5 billion to the Ministry of Finance.

The EC estimated that the unspent budget out of the total budget it received for holding the local level election on May 13 this year could still rise.

EC Spokesperson Shaligram Sharma Poudel said unspent budget of Rs 1.5 billion of the total local election budget was returned to the Ministry of Finance last week (on June 29).

The EC had demanded Rs 8.95 billion from the Finance Ministry to hold the local elections but the ministry had given only Rs 8.11 billion.

Spokesperson Poudel said roughly Rs 6.61 billion was spent on the local election. Nonetheless, the amount of unspent amount could still rise, he added.

The Ministry of Finance had released local election budget to the EC in three phases. The EC received funds for employee insurance in the first phase, for purchase of election materials in the second phase, and arrears were paid out in the third phase.