National Assembly Member Ghimire Urges Budget Prioritization for Religious Tourism, Agricultural Self-Sufficiency, and Mining

Kathmandu. National Assembly member Basudev Ghimire has demanded that the government give special priority to religious tourism, agricultural self-sufficiency, and mining in the upcoming fiscal year's budget. He made this demand while speaking at a meeting of the Development, Economic Affairs and Good Governance Committee held at the Federal Parliament Secretariat on Wednesday.

Participating in the discussion with various ministries regarding the formulation of the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/084, MP Ghimire suggested bringing a budget with concrete plans.

In the policy and program of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, MP Ghimire said that the government's proposal to make Nepal a 'Devbhoomi' (Land of Gods) is good, but Gosainkunda should not be left out.

"Gosainkunda in Rasuwa, considered one of the four Dhams of Nepal, should also be included in the budget and programs," he said. He demanded the development of a 'religious circuit' connecting religious sites like Swargadwari, Khaptad, and Dang's Dharapani, and the allocation of budget for the construction of an airport in Deukhuri, the capital of Lumbini.

To the officials of the Ministry of Agriculture, Forest and Environment, he emphasized import substitution. Stating that Nepal has already become self-sufficient in milk and meat, he said that the import of such goods from neighboring countries should be completely banned.

He also claimed that self-sufficiency can be achieved within a year by providing subsidies to farmers in fruit cultivation. He also suggested focusing the budget on Chure conservation and removing legal barriers to the use of domestic timber.

Speaking about the budget of the Ministry of Youth, Labour and Employment, he emphasized that the government's policy should be such that it prevents foreign migration. Expressing that the policy and practice are different, he demanded that the budget be brought in such a way that the goal of creating 8 million jobs in the country is met.

Regarding the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supply, he said that the excavation of petroleum products in Dailekh and iron ore in Nawalparasi should be given top priority. He stated that allocating sufficient budget for these projects will bring long-term improvement to the country's economy.

Representatives from the Ministries of Industry, Agriculture, Labour, and Tourism were present at the meeting.