The delay in summoning the budget session of the parliament is now going to cost the nation dearly for it will render all government machinery totally paralyzed. Going by last year’s experience, history should not have repeated itself. Unfortunately, however, lack of political consensus is once again pushing the country toward the same direction of chaos and uncertainty. On Monday, Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal informed Speaker Subash Nembang that the government needs more days before summoning the budget session of parliament as he wants to further consult the leaders of major political parties before starting the session. As per the understanding reached on June 3 while proroguing the winter session, the budget session should have begun Tuesday. The date for the budget session is now uncertain with little hope for pre-budget discussions in the parliament, which has not taken place for two consecutive years due to obstruction by the opposition UCPN (Maoist). The budget session needs to kick-start latest by June 17 for the parliament to suggest priorities and principles to be incorporated in the new budget. Last year, due to Maoist opposition, the parliament could not hold the much-needed pre-budget discussions. The budget itself was passed on November 25 with political understanding charted out in the last four days with the Maoists. The budget is usually passed by July 10. While the government had to compromise with development expenditures then, some delay was caused in distributing salaries to government servants.
The political leaders, especially the Maoists, must understand the futility of inviting such disaster and causing hardship to the functioning of the government machineries at large. While it is getting late for budget preparation, the political parties are seen busy wrangling over disputes on the three-point pact reached on May 28 midnight. All know that budget is important matter and no state can afford to invite such a crisis. But time is running out and there is much to do. The government is yet to finalize and come up with the policy and program for the next fiscal year on which the budget is based. Given the Maoists threat to protest if the prime minister does not resign, there is little hope that the UCPN (Maoist) will let the government present its policy and program followed by an annual budget and let the president summon the parliament. It would be better if the political parties kept aside their differences for once before they bring the country to a complete standstill.
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