Kathmandu: Lawmakers have raised concerns over what they perceive as discriminatory budget allocation practices favoring the home districts of top leaders from major political parties and ministers. During a recent discussion on the Appropriation Bill in the House of Representatives, they expressed dissatisfaction with the perceived inequitable distribution of funds across various districts.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the lawmakers voiced their discontent with the government’s approach to budget allocation, highlighting that it does not align with the principle of proportional distribution. Deepak Giri criticized the allocation of Rs 10 million for the construction of Tarigaun airport in Dang, arguing that the amount falls short of the government’s earlier promise of not allocating less than Rs 30 million for such projects. He emphasized that this allocation fails to meet the lawmakers’ expectations for adequate funding for land acquisition.
Menaka Kumari Pokhrel echoed similar sentiments, pointing out that the budget for Tarigaun airport was insufficient despite the Prime Minister’s commitment to providing ample funding. Additionally, Purna Bahadur Gharti Magar and Ammar Bahadur Thapa remarked that the budget allocation does not reflect the broader welfare of the country or its people.
Ranju Kumari Jha called for an equitable distribution of the budget across all districts, while Ram Prakash Chaudhary criticized the federal government for not allocating sufficient funds to Madhes Province. Prabhu Sah noted that budget allocation appeared to favor districts represented by leaders of ruling parties, and Ram Krishna Yadav accused the government of practicing discrimination in its budgetary decisions.