Citizens' Campaign Demands Budget for Chure Conservation, Education, and Health

Kathmandu. A demand has been made to the government to allocate sufficient budget for the conservation of the Chure region. The Citizens' Campaign for Environmental Democracy made this demand at a press conference in Kathmandu on Sunday. Similarly, the attention of the government has been drawn to allocate the necessary budget for providing quality services in the education and health sectors, said Naren Khathivada, coordinator of the campaign. The campaign's suggestion was that the government should allocate 20 percent of the total national budget to education and 10 percent to the health sector. Coordinator Khathivada stated that the government has also been urged to allocate sufficient budget for sectors such as organic agriculture, ecotourism, cottage and small industries, forest, renewable energy, and information technology, ensuring an annual 500,000 employment and self-employment opportunities. He said, 'Let the budget be allocated for the construction of a democratic, community-centered, nature-friendly, and human-needs-based development model. Let the environmental impact assessment not be limited to mere formality, and let capital budget be allocated only for plans where environmental protection is ensured. Let sufficient budget be allocated for the sustainable conservation, development, and restoration of the Chure region, which is connected to the lives of Madhesh and the entire country. As education and health are fundamental rights of citizens, let at least 20 percent of the total national budget be allocated to education and 10 percent to the health sector in the upcoming budget, making public education and health quality. Let sufficient budget be allocated for sectors such as organic agriculture, ecotourism, cottage and small industries, forest, renewable energy, and information technology, ensuring annual 500,000 employment and self-employment opportunities.' The campaign has also emphasized that the government should allocate budget only for plans where environmental protection is ensured.