Sudurpashchim Province Government Spends Only 62.33% of Budget

Dhangadhi. The Sudurpashchim Province government could not spend approximately 38 percent of the budget allocated in the current financial year. According to the Province Treasury Comptroller Office, out of a total budget of 33 billion 43 million 25 thousand 334 hundred rupees, only 20 billion 83 million 92 thousand 51 hundred rupees were spent.

According to Baldev Kapadi, information officer of the office, the provincial government has spent a total of 62.33 percent of the budget. 12 billion 59 million 32 thousand rupees could not be spent under the annual budget.

The budget implementation for the current expenditure was 68.22 percent and for capital expenditure was 58.33 percent. This is one of the weakest expenditures of the provincial government to date.

The government appears to have spent a large amount in the last month of the financial year, Asar. In the month of Asar alone, 9 billion 6 million 30 thousand rupees were spent, which is 27.13 percent of the total annual expenditure. Looking only at capital expenditure, the data shows that 30.33 percent of the total expenditure was made in Asar.

Until the end of Jestha, the total expenditure of the provincial government was 11 billion 77 million 61 thousand rupees. By then, capital expenditure had reached 5 billion 55 million 50 thousand rupees.

In terms of capital expenditure, the government had allocated a budget of 19 billion 82 million 96 thousand 86 hundred rupees, of which only 11 billion 56 million 82 thousand rupees were spent. Out of the 13 billion 59 million 28 thousand rupees budget for current expenditure, 9 billion 27 million 24 thousand rupees were spent.

Looking at the ministries, the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, which received the largest budget, also could not spend as expected. The ministry, which received a budget of 15 billion 28 million 42 thousand rupees, managed to spend only about 60 percent.

The Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives could not spend 3 billion 26 million rupees out of its budget of 1 billion 34 million 68 thousand rupees. The ministry's total expenditure was limited to 58.69 percent.

The Ministry of Social Development could not spend 6 billion 62 million 33 thousand rupees out of its budget of 1 billion 88 million 42 thousand rupees. The Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment could not spend 2 billion 22 million 9 thousand rupees out of its budget of 63 million 32 thousand 95 hundred rupees. The expenditure of these ministries is 71.55 percent and 71.49 percent respectively.

Among the seven ministries, the Provincial Assembly, and various commissions, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Law has shown the weakest expenditure. The ministry, which received a budget of 34 million 6 thousand rupees, could not spend 23 million 58 thousand 96 hundred rupees.

Similarly, 86 million 84 thousand 40 hundred rupees could not be spent out of the 3 billion 63 million 95 thousand rupees allocated by the provincial government for local levels.