Vote on Account Bill passed
Related story
Apple to patch privacy bug in video-calling feature
KATHMANDU, July 16: The Legislature-Parliament on Thursday passed the Vote on Account Bill, 2015 following an agreement between the two ruling parties -- Nepali Congress and CPN-UML-- over some of the disputed issues in the budget announced by the finance minister on Tuesday.
Top leaders of the two parties had held meetings to address the concerns raised by the UML in the budget for the fiscal year 2015/16.
UML had accused Finance Minister Mahat of not incorporating the UML"s suggestions and of disrespecting the party's former leaders such as Madan Bhandari, Pushpa Lal and Manmohan Adhikari in the budget. The Mid-Hill Highway was named after Pushpa Lal Shrestha, the founding leader of Nepal Communist Party. But the name was missing in the budget unveiled by the finance minister.
Also expressing strong reservations over the decision to name the proposed Mass Communication Training Institute after late NC leader Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, UML also demanded that social security allowance scheme to senior citizens be named after late UML leader Manmohan Adhikari.
The parliament meeting had taken place six hours later than the scheduled time as top leaders of the two parties were engaged in fresh negotiations. Earlier, the UML had warned of obstructing the passage of the Vote on Account Bill.
According to a leaders involved in the two-party meeting, NC has agreed to establish state of the art facility stadium in the name of Madan Bhandari in Jhapa, expedite passage of Madan Bhandari University Bill, and retain the name Pushpa Lal for Mid-hill Highway. Among other things, the two parties have also agreed to continue with Aafno Gaun Aafai Banaau grant program to each VDC with the new name Gramin Swalamban Aafno Gaun Aafai Banaun.
Finance Minister Mahat, who also presented the Appropriation Bill 2015 and a separate bill to raise public debt in parliament, had furnished clarification on questions raised by lawmakers. He said that the budget he unveiled was not prepared solely by him but by all line ministries and duly approved by the cabinet.
