Lawmakers Urge Realistic, Action-Oriented Budget Addressing Marginalized Groups

Kathmandu. Lawmakers have drawn the Finance Minister's attention to bring a budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84 that is realistic, action-oriented, and addresses the problems of marginalized groups. Speaking at a meeting of the Development, Economic and Good Governance Committee under the National Assembly on Friday, lawmakers demanded that the budget be focused on health, education, drinking water, infrastructure, and the upliftment of targeted groups. Lawmaker Savitri Malla emphasized the need to make health insurance systematic and accessible. She stated, 'Special initiatives should be taken to broaden the scope of treatment so that health insurance facilities are available from all hospitals in the country.' Similarly, lawmaker Samjhana Devkota demanded that the budget for the national pride Budhi Gandaki Hydropower Project be credible and that the budget be brought in a way that completes the project as soon as possible. She advised the Finance Minister to arrange relief for private and commercial establishments that suffered losses from past protests, to prioritize the resolution of the landless problem, and to complete incomplete small drinking water projects to fulfill the goal of 'one house, one tap.' She also demanded programs to increase agricultural production on fallow land by keeping youth concentrated in the villages. **Demand to make education free up to higher education for Dalits** Lawmaker Rekha Kumari Jha urged for a budget that is implementable, stating that while a lot of budget is allocated to education and health, it is not spent. She demanded that the budget be focused on improving the quality of drinking water, citing the lack of pure drinking water from the Terai-Madhesh to Kathmandu. Likewise, lawmaker Bhuwan Bishwakarma demanded a budget for the full implementation of the law that provides free education from primary to higher education for Dalit students, as stipulated in Article 40(2) of the constitution. He said, 'The budget of 20-50 crore allocated in the past did not work for the development and progress of the Dalit community, which constitutes about 14 percent (4 million) of the population.' He added, 'The upcoming budget must clearly outline the mechanism and budget through which the targeted class will be reached, and through which ministry.' He also strongly demanded a special package of relief and reconstruction for those who were rendered homeless by fire incidents. **Emphasis on Religious Road Infrastructure** In the meeting, lawmaker Mahanta Thakur suggested to the Finance Minister that religious and tourist road infrastructure also be given high priority. He emphasized the need to allocate sufficient funds in the upcoming budget for the construction and upgrading of the Ram Janaki Path and the 105-kilometer-long Parikrama Road, especially in the Madhesh Province. Responding to all these issues raised in the committee, the Finance Minister has pledged to move forward by prioritizing the unlimited needs of the people amidst limited resources and means in the upcoming budget.