KATHMANDU, July 21: Thirteen local levels have failed to unveil their budgets for the current fiscal year. Of the country's 753 local levels, 740 have made their budgets public and initiated the implementation process.
Data uploaded by local levels to the portal maintained by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration showed that 10 local governments in Madhesh Province had yet to present their budgets.
Four local levels in Sarlahi district fail to bring budget for...
The local levels yet to unveil their budgets are Sukhipur Municipality in Siraha; Aurahi Rural Municipality and Kamala Municipality in Dhanusha, Garuda Municipality, Katahariya Municipality, Fatuwa Bijaypur Municipality, Maulapur Municipality and Yamunamai Rural Municipality in Rautahat; and Chhipaharamai Rural Municipality and Pakaha Mainpur Rural Municipality in Parsa.
Similarly, Dharan Sub-metropolitan City in Koshi Province, Kotahimai Rural Municipality in the Rupandehi district of Lumbini Province, and Shuddhodhan Rural Municipality in Kapilvastu district also failed to unveil their budgets.
In Koshi Province, 136 of the 137 local levels have unveiled their budgets. All local levels in Bagmati, Gandaki, Karnali and Sudurpaschim provinces had made their budgets public by the end of Asar (mid-July), before the start of the current fiscal year.
The Constitution requires the federal government to present its annual budget on Jestha 15 (late May), provincial governments on Asar 1 (mid-June), and local governments at any time during the month of Asar under the Nepali calendar.
Local governments have attributed the delay in unveiling their budgets to political disputes and technical issues.
