KATHMANDU: Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh has allocated budget for 50 development projects associated with his father, the late Ganeshman Singh—commander of the 1990 People’s Movement—despite existing legal and procedural restrictions.
The Ministry of Urban Development has included projects such as parks, stadiums, institutions, roads, arenas, buildings, and senior citizen centers bearing Ganeshman Singh’s name in its upcoming fiscal year’s plans.
However, the allocations have sparked controversy as they reportedly violate the Fiscal Responsibility and Financial Accountability Act and contradict the guidelines set by the National Planning Commission (NPC) and the Project Bank system.
The NPC had earlier set a standard barring the federal government from allocating budget for projects under Rs 30 million, a rule embedded within the Project Bank’s software system for budget planning.
Despite these restrictions, Minister Singh allegedly bypassed all regulations and inserted a large number of personal interest projects into the national budget for the next fiscal year, according to the Ministry’s annual program records.
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