Sudurpashchim government presents budget to provincial assembly three months late

Nearly three months after the start of the current fiscal year 2083/84, the Sudurpashchim provincial government presented its budget to the provincial assembly on Sunday.

Provincial Economic Affairs Minister Chakra Bahadur Malla presented the budget at the assembly meeting. Before the budget was brought, a cabinet meeting was held at the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers.

According to Tara Prasad Joshi, information officer at the provincial assembly secretariat, the meeting called for 2 pm started later than scheduled. Lawmakers from the main opposition party, Nepali Congress, did not take part in the meeting.

Earlier, in the month of Asar, the budget brought by the then government led by Kamal Bahadur Shah could not be passed due to a dispute between coalition partners Congress and the then CPN-UML. This is the second budget presented to the assembly for the current fiscal year.

After that, a new government led by Khagraj Bhatta was formed on Shrawan 29 in a coalition of UML and the Nepal Communist Party. Even after the new government was formed, the province remained without a budget for a long time as coalition parties and cabinet members failed to agree on it.

During this period, the assembly meeting to present the budget was postponed repeatedly. Provincial government spokesperson and Minister for Industry, Tourism, Forests and Environment Prakash Rawal said earlier meetings were postponed due to lack of preparation.