HoR continues deliberations on Appropriation Bill-2082 BS

Kathmandu, June 22: The House of Representatives (HoR) today continued deliberations on various headings of the Appropriation Bill for the fiscal year 2082 BS.     

During the discussions, legislators stressed the need to make the budget more civic-oriented and development-friendly. Several members also proposed reductions in budget allocations to the Office of the President, the Prime Minister’s Office, various ministries, and commissions, arguing that the distribution of funds was imbalanced.     

Hitaraj Pandey, Chief Whip of the CPN (UML), called for a greater allocation of funds to the Ministry of Women, Children, and Senior Citizens. He criticized the government for 'overlooking' the significance of the ministry in the current budget. Pandey also used the platform to demand the immediate formation of a committee to investigate the visit visa scam, adding that the budget had also neglected the sports sector.     

Ganga Karki, also from the CPN (UML), urged the government to reduce unnecessary expenditures and focus more on boosting production. He noted that economic reforms, agricultural promotion, and the development of sports and tourism sectors had received inadequate attention.     

Chitra Bahadur KC of Rastriya Janamorcha stressed the importance of the State being informed about the condition of the youth. “The State should be aware of their current status, what they are learning, and how their education is progressing,” he said.     

Similarly, Lekhnath Dahal called for citizen participation in the formulation of development plans.     

Prabhu Shah questioned the absence of the Prime Minister during deliberations on the budget for the Office of the Prime Minister and Council of Ministers. He argued that fragmented development efforts would not align with the broader urban development goals. Shah also highlighted the low representation of women in the government.     

Amanlal Modi criticized the budget allocation as being disproportionately distributed across districts. He also accused the Ministry of Urban Development of neglecting the recurring problem of inundation in Biratnagar, Morang.(RSS)