KATHMANDU: The Sudurpashchim provincial government has presented a new annual budget of Rs 37.703967 billion for the current fiscal year 2083/84 after prolonged uncertainty caused by political changes and a budget impasse.
Minister for Economic Affairs Chakra Bahadur Malla presented the revised budget statement at a meeting of the Provincial Assembly on Sunday.
The budget announcement is expected to allow economic activities and development projects that had remained stalled in the province to resume.
On June 15, the government led by then Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah had presented a budget of the same size through then Economic Affairs Minister Bikram Singh Dhami. However, the budget was not passed and became inactive after a change in the ruling coalition.
A joint government of the CPN and CPN-UML was subsequently formed, with Khagaraj Bhatta becoming chief minister. Two months after the new government took office, the Provincial Assembly unanimously approved a proposal to withdraw the Appropriation Bill, 2083, and the Bill to Implement Financial Proposals, 2083, presented by the previous government. Malla then reintroduced the revised budget.
The provincial government has identified internal revenue, federal grants and savings from the previous fiscal year as the main sources of funding.
The budget estimates Rs 1.72 billion from internal revenue mobilisation and Rs 10.249267 billion from the federal revenue-sharing mechanism.
It also projects Rs 70 million from federal royalty sharing, Rs 9.0633 billion from fiscal equalisation grants and Rs 9.65 billion from savings carried forward from the previous fiscal year.
Other sources include Rs 6.0358 billion in conditional grants, Rs 388 million in federal matching grants and Rs 527.6 million in special grants.
The budget prioritises major infrastructure, healthcare, tourism and the promotion of local products across the province.
An allocation of Rs 255 million has been set aside for an improvement plan at Seti Provincial Hospital in Dhangadhi to expand healthcare services.
For sports and tourism promotion, the budget allocates Rs 50 million for the construction of the Phapla Cricket Ground in Kailali and Rs 32.5 million for a feasibility study on operating a cable car at the religious site of Badimalika. A further Rs 12 million has been allocated to brand local products under the name “Sudur Koseli”.
The budget also sets aside Rs 10 million for the construction process of the province’s permanent capital and Rs 10 million to repair the suspension bridge at Dodhara Chandani in Kanchanpur.
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