Lumbini Provincial Government Spends 39.91% of Budget in 10 Months

Butwal. The Lumbini Provincial Government has spent only 39.91 percent of its total budget even after 10 months of the current fiscal year. The provincial government had allocated a total budget of 38 Arba 81 Crore rupees, including 23 Arba 47 Crore 14 Lakh 65 Thousand rupees for capital expenditure and 15 Arba 43 Crore 85 Lakh 35 Thousand rupees for current expenditure for the current fiscal year. According to the Provincial Treasury Comptroller Office, a total of 13 Arba 79 Crore 91 Lakh 85 Thousand 942 rupees has been spent so far, including current and capital expenditure until the end of Baisakh, which is 39.91 percent of the total budget. With only two months left until the end of the fiscal year, the budget expenditure situation appears weak. Questions are being raised about the performance of the provincial government, especially due to the low capital expenditure related to development construction. What is the expenditure of which ministry? The Chief Minister and Council of Ministers' Office has spent 26.66 percent of its budget, amounting to 13 Crore 37 Lakh 83 Thousand rupees, in 10 months. The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning has spent 26.75 percent of its budget, amounting to 43 Crore 86 Lakh 25 Thousand rupees. The Ministry of Industry, Tourism, and Transport has spent 28.07 percent of its budget of 53 Crore 44 Lakh 45 Thousand rupees by the end of Baisakh. The Ministry of Energy, Water Resources, and Irrigation has spent 38.98 percent of its budget of 1 Arba 4 Crore 69 Lakh 21 Thousand rupees, according to the Provincial Treasury Comptroller Office. The Ministry of Agriculture, Land Management, and Cooperatives has spent 35.52 percent of its budget of 53 Crore 44 Lakh 98 Thousand rupees so far, while the Ministry of Home Affairs and Law has spent 11.24 percent of its budget of 41 Crore 25 Lakh 86 Thousand rupees. Similarly, the Ministry of Forests and Environment has spent 41.15 percent of its budget of 1 Arba 4 Crore 81 Lakh 83 Thousand rupees. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development has spent 43.28 percent of its budget of 4 Arba 29 Crore 57 Lakh 44 Thousand rupees. The Ministry of Youth and Sports has spent 16.34 percent of its budget of 6 Crore 8 Lakh 61 Thousand rupees. Similarly, the Ministry of Urban Development and Water Supply has spent 36.59 percent of its budget of 2 Arba 5 Crore 66 Lakh 54 Thousand rupees, according to the Treasury Comptroller Office. The Ministry of Social Development has spent 26.66 percent of its budget of 96 Crore 45 Lakh 80 Thousand rupees. The Ministry of Health has spent 58.23 percent of its budget of 2 Arba 88 Crore 39 Lakh 61 Thousand rupees so far. Lumbini Provincial Government Spokesperson and Minister of Agriculture Dinesh Panthi claimed that the total budget expenditure would reach about 70 percent by the end of the fiscal year, similar to previous years. However, stakeholders often criticize the practice of not spending the budget for 9-10 months of the fiscal year and spending haphazardly in the last two months as 'Asare Vikas' (June-July development).