Bagmati Province Government Unveils Rs 66.93 Billion Budget for Fiscal Year 2083/84

Hetauda. The Bagmati Province Government has unveiled a budget of Rs 66.93 billion 33 million 33 thousand for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84. Presenting the budget at a meeting of the Provincial Assembly on Monday, Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Prabhat Tamang stated that 65.69 percent of the budget has been allocated to capital expenditure and 34.31 percent to current expenditure.

Minister Tamang said that the budget aims to achieve an economic growth rate of 7.5 percent for the province. He also mentioned that an 11 percent saving in current expenditure is estimated due to improvements in administrative structure. 

The budget prioritizes 'Good Governance, Technology, and Production,' he stated. The government has focused its programs on increasing production and employment. The 'Chief Minister's Poor Housing Program' has been prominently featured in the budget. Rs 200 million has been allocated to construct and distribute safe housing for at least one thousand extremely poor families in the province, while the provision of a 25 to 35 percent discount on registration fees for land and property in the name of senior citizens above 70 years and single women has been continued. 

Rs 200 million has been set aside for the 'Chief Minister's Innovation Program' to connect youth with technology and entrepreneurship. An additional Rs 200 million has been allocated to provide interest subsidies for loans to encourage business operations for those returning from foreign employment and skilled entrepreneurs. 

The goal of 'One House, One Tap' is being accelerated to provide access to clean drinking water. Rs 2 billion has been allocated to complete drinking water projects that have achieved 80 percent progress, and Rs 1.70 billion for 187 other projects. The budget prioritizes the integrated provincial administrative building in Hetauda, the Churepath as a provincial pride project, and the Gauritar Stadium. 

For the development of the agricultural sector, the 'One Ward, One Agricultural Product Program' currently operating in 60 wards will be further expanded, and a 50 percent subsidy on electricity tariffs for dairy chilling centers operated by cooperatives will be provided to encourage self-sufficiency in milk production. The budget includes a plan to establish an organic fertilizer factory through public-private partnership.

To improve the quality of health services, modern equipment such as CT scan, MRI, and cath lab will be added to provincial hospitals. The treatment subsidy provided to cancer and heart patients and the 'One School, One Nurse' program have been continued. In education, the government's budget includes the launch of 'Smart Teaching' and AI-based digital training for teachers.

For tourism promotion, proportional development of tourism infrastructure will be carried out in all 66 constituencies of the province. The budget mentions the preparation of a comprehensive master plan for the 'Bagmati Province Tourist Circuit' to connect historical and religious sites. 

The budget has announced a 50 percent discount on business registration and renewal fees to encourage startups and small businesses. An attractive scheme to provide a 100 percent exemption on outstanding taxes and fines for scrapping public vehicles older than 20 years has also been included in the budget. 

Hello CM Desk to be Established

A desk with state-of-the-art technology has been established to resolve citizens' grievances within seven days. The establishment of the Hello CM Desk at the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers' Office will address citizens' grievances, as mentioned in the budget statement. The budget states that grievances, problems, and complaints of the province's residents will be compulsorily resolved within seven days of receipt through this advanced desk. 

Under the partnership program for local service improvement, a Governance Innovation Challenge Fund will be operated, management of multi-year projects and making the project bank effective by creating integrated laws, and Rs 7.10 billion has been allocated for strategic road projects and roads under the provincial road master plan. 

Rs 2.53 billion has been allocated for bridge construction in various road sections, and a budget has been arranged for the feasibility study of operating a metro rail in the valley and for the feasibility study of constructing the Bhimphedi-Kulekhani tunnel. Rs 512.8 million has been allocated as a provincial pride project for MBBS and MD studies at the Madan Bhandari Health Science Institute, and a budget has been arranged for establishing a wellness center for yoga and meditation in Hetauda-16, continuing the 'One School, One Nurse' program and handing it over to local levels, and for making teaching and learning technology-friendly through 'Smart Teaching'.

Hospital Strengthening: Equipment such as CT scan, MRI, and cath lab machines will be added to provincial hospitals, the program 'One Ward, One Agricultural Product' currently operating in 60 wards will be expanded and continued, a 50 percent subsidy on electricity tariffs will be provided to dairy chilling centers and cold storage operated by cooperatives, special programs will be conducted to conserve the Salak as a provincial pride animal, and a 50 percent reduction in business registration and renewal fees will be implemented to encourage self-employment. The budget includes these provisions. 

Improvements in transport services and the provision of 'faceless' services by making license printing and tax payments online, prioritizing the Bagmati Province Tourist Circuit project, and Rs 800 million has been allocated for the construction of the Hetauda Grand Drinking Water Project. A budget of Rs 115 million has been allocated for installing solar energy in the province's main administrative buildings, and a budget has been arranged for crime control and security enhancement through CCTV cameras for digital crime tracking, and Rs 10 million has been allocated to connect journalists with the social security fund and insurance. A budget has been arranged for establishing smart checkpoints at the main entry points to the province. 

Ministry-wise Allocation

 
Salary Increase for Employees, Pension Fund Establishment

The Bagmati Province Government has prioritized a 'lean, efficient, and technology-friendly' administration in the upcoming fiscal year's budget, advancing the 'Administrative Restructuring' task to make the administrative structure economical and effective. Minister Tamang stated that by cutting or adjusting unnecessary ministries, bodies, and offices to bring efficiency in service delivery, an 11 percent saving in current expenditure is expected in the coming year. 

The budget includes provisions for increasing the morale of employees working under the provincial government by providing salaries, incentive allowances, and dearness allowances effective from Shrawan 1, in accordance with the decision of the federal government. A proposal has been made in the budget to establish a 'Contribution-based Pension Fund' to manage the long-term pension liabilities of the provincial government. 

The budget includes the development of an 'Online Project Monitoring System' for the effective implementation of government projects. Minister Tamang stated that this system will continuously track and trace the physical and financial progress of projects. He also mentioned that a 'Provincial Data System' will be built to secure and manage the data and records of the province and will be linked with the central data server of the federal government.

A 'Provincial Research and Training Institute' center will be established to systematize the training provided to representatives and employees of the province and local levels. The budget statement mentions that necessary budget has been allocated to further modernize and technologize the Provincial Public Service Commission, and various orientation and capacity development programs will be conducted to make the manpower working in the commission technology-friendly and skilled.