SIDDHARTHANAGAR: With only two months remaining in the current fiscal year, budget implementation by the Lumbini Provincial Government remains sluggish, with overall expenditure falling below 40 percent.
According to official data, delays in implementing development projects have significantly affected spending performance, with most ministries failing to utilize even half of their allocated budgets.
The provincial government had allocated a total budget of Rs 38.81 billion for the current fiscal year, including Rs 23.47 billion for capital expenditure and Rs 15.43 billion for recurrent expenditure.
By mid-Baisakh, only 39.91 percent of the total budget had been spent. Officials said capital expenditure in particular remains weak.
According to the Provincial Accounts Controller’s Office, total expenditure so far stands at Rs 13.79 billion.
Spending under the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers has reached only 26.66 percent. The Ministry of Youth and Sports has spent just 16.34 percent of its allocated budget.
Similarly, the Ministry of Urban Development and Drinking Water has utilized 36.59 percent of its Rs 2.056 billion budget, while the Ministry of Social Development has spent 26.66 percent of its Rs 964.48 million allocation.
The Ministry of Health has recorded relatively better performance, spending 58.23 percent of its Rs 2.883 billion budget.
Other ministries also show mixed performance: the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning has spent 26.75 percent, the Ministry of Industry, Tourism and Transport 28.07 percent, and the Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation 38.98 percent.
The Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management and Cooperatives has spent 35.52 percent of its allocated funds, while the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law has recorded the lowest utilization at 11.24 percent.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Forests and Environment has spent 41.15 percent of its budget, and the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development has utilized 43.28 percent of its allocation.
Officials said the low spending rate reflects delays in project execution, administrative bottlenecks, and weak implementation capacity across key sectors.
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