KATHMANDU: Discussions on various budget headings under the Appropriation Bill continued in the House of Representatives on Tuesday, with lawmakers proposing symbolic reductions in ministry expenditures and raising concerns over budget allocations across key sectors.
During the meeting, MP Guru Prasad Baral proposed reducing the allocation for the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation to Rs 1, arguing that greater investment is needed to strengthen science and technology education from the secondary school level.
He stressed that science and technology form the foundation of modern knowledge and called on the government to expand opportunities for students to study science. Baral noted that the ministry currently has a budget of around Rs 4 billion and said additional resources would be necessary given the establishment of the new ministry.
Similarly, MP Ramesh Kumar Malla proposed reducing the budget of the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs to Rs 1. He urged the government to bring the transitional justice process to a logical conclusion and drew attention to infrastructure projects in Karnali that were initially discussed for funding but were ultimately excluded from the budget document.
MP Balawati Sharma criticized the budget for lacking a clear infrastructure development roadmap. While proposing a Rs 1 allocation for the Ministry of Infrastructure Development, she accused the government of failing to adequately address the need for roads, schools, suspension bridges, and other public infrastructure across the country. She also called for increased budget allocations for infrastructure projects in Baglung.
MP Bishnumaya BK raised concerns over the lack of sufficient budget for controlling drug abuse and trafficking, disaster risk reduction, and prison construction projects. Proposing a reduction of the Home Ministry’s budget to Rs 1, she also argued that allocations for combating cybercrime were inadequate.
Likewise, MP Yagya Bahadur Bogati proposed reducing the budget of the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation to Rs 1, claiming the government had failed to prioritize investment in the sector. He criticized the imposition of taxes on electricity consumption, saying it had increased the financial burden on citizens.
Bogati further argued that the budget had neglected the development needs of disadvantaged regions and said there was a lack of coherence between the government’s policies and programs.
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