Rajbiraj: Four months into the current fiscal year, 24 local levels in Madhesh Province have yet to present their budget estimates. Out of 728 local levels across the region, 25 have not completed this crucial financial task.
According to National News Agency Nepal, the constitutional provision mandates that the federal government present its budget by Jestha 15, the provincial government by Asad 1, and the local levels by Asad 10 in the Lunar Calendar. Despite this, 112 out of 136 local levels in Madhesh Province have complied, while 24 remain delinquent.
The Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration reports that municipalities such as Rajbiraj, Agnisair Krishnasawaran Rural Municipality, Balan Bihun Rural Municipality, and Kalyanpur Municipality in Saptari are among those yet to submit their budgets.
Additional local levels lagging in their fiscal responsibilities include Dhangadhimai Municipality and Sukhipur Municipality of Siraha, Kshireshwor Municipality of Dhanusha, and several others across the province, highlighting a regional challenge in budgetary compliance.
Moreover, Suddhodhan Rural Municipality in Lumbini Province has also failed to present its budget, indicating that this issue spans beyond Madhesh Province.