Karnali Provincial Government Spends 7.23% of Budget in Jestha

Surkhet. The Karnali Provincial Government has spent 7.23 percent of its total budget in the month of Jestha alone, having spent 9 billion in the first 10 months of the current fiscal year. The provincial government spent 2 billion 40 crore 4 lakh rupees in the month of Jestha alone. The Karnali government, which had been slow in budget expenditure until the first 10 months of the current fiscal year, suddenly increased its spending pace in the 11th month. By the end of Baishakh, i.e., in 10 months, only 29.03 percent of the total budget had been spent. The provincial government had presented a budget of 32 billion 99 crore 66 lakh 55 thousand for the current fiscal year (2082/083), of which 36.26 percent, or 12 billion 3 crore 56 lakh 5 thousand 854 rupees, had been spent by the end of Jestha, according to Lalit Thapa, accounting officer at the Provincial Treasury Comptroller's Office. The Karnali government faces the challenge of spending 63 percent, or 21 billion 15 crore 80 lakh, of the budget in the remaining one month (Asar), which seems impossible. Last year (2081/082), the provincial government had implemented 41.79 percent of the budget by the end of Jestha. The current budget implementation pace is the lowest in recent years. Finance Minister Rajiv Vikram Shah claimed that 63.52 percent of the total budget, amounting to 20 billion 96 crore 20 lakh rupees, would be spent by the end of Asar. For the upcoming fiscal year, 6 billion 41 crore rupees have been set aside as savings for expenditure. Karnali Government's total budget expenditure details until the end of Jestha
Source: Provincial Treasury Comptroller's Office72 percent development budget remains to be implementedWith only one month left until the end of the fiscal year, only 27.70 percent of the Karnali government's development budget has been implemented. The province had an annual capital budget of 19 billion 98 crore 27 lakh in the current fiscal year, of which only 5 billion 53 crore 61 lakh 25 thousand 187 rupees have been implemented so far, said Provincial Accountant Lalit Thapa. The government still has about 14 billion in capital budget remaining in the consolidated fund. The government implemented approximately 1 billion 23 crore 27 lakh in the month of Jestha alone. By the end of Baishakh, development budget of about 4 billion 30 crore had been implemented. Last fiscal year, by this time, 32 percent of the development budget had already been implemented. The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Urban Development, which has the largest capital budget, has implemented only 27.85 percent, or 2 billion 89 crore 1 lakh, in 11 months. Whereas this ministry has a capital budget of 10 billion 73 crore 14 lakh. Another major development ministry, Energy and Water Resources, has managed to implement 41.99 percent, or 1 billion 43 crore. This ministry has an annual capital budget of more than 3 billion 55 crore. Government employees and ministers blame the 'Zenji' movement and elections. Chief Minister Yamlal Kandel, however, blames the bureaucracy for not doing any work in budget implementation. In this situation, the current budget, which is spent on salaries and allowances, has been spent by 50.64 percent, or 6 billion 37 crore 80 lakh, according to the Treasury Comptroller's Office. Finance Minister Rajiv Vikram Shah said that efforts have been made to ensure efficiency in budget allocation, effectiveness in implementation, and financial discipline.