HoR meeting : Lawmakers deliberate on Appropriation Bill

Kathmandu. The lawmakers continued discussion on various headings under 10 ministries in the meeting of the House of Representatives today. They expressed views for and against the budget allocations on different topics during the deliberation.

Nepali Congress lawmaker and former Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat said it is important to focus on how the budget would be implemented effectively rather than talk about amount of allocation. He argued the budget allocation was based on availability of resources.

UML lawmaker and former Tourism Minister Yogesh Bhattarai viewed as the budget making process was not inclusive, various problems were surfaced. We need to establish a development council in each province to design budget in a participatory manner.

He urged the Home Minister to conduct a probe on visit visa scam and implement the two-point agreement. Lawmaker of CPN (Maoist Centre) and former Home Minister Shakti Bahadur Basnet complained that the budget allocated for rehabilitation of earthquake affected households was inadequate.

All basic health services must be ensured free to all, he demanded. Leader of the CPN (Unified Socialist) and former Minister Kisan Kumar Shrestha argued that credibility of budget has down due to trend of increasing budget by the powerful leaders and ministers in their respective constituencies.

He expressed the view that the country could make a speedy development if adequate budget was allocated in major projects. Saying the ministers have increased budget only in their constituencies, lawmaker Abdul Khan of Janamat Party argued such trend could not help develop country in a balanced manner.

Ram Prakash Chaudhary commented that priority was not given to Madhes Province in the budget, drawing attention of the government to take initiatives to repatriate the bodies of the Nepalis, who died abroad.

The discussion is going on under the headings of Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs and General Administration, Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Health and Population, Ministry of Water Supply, Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Labour, Employment and Social Security, Home Ministry, and Ministry of Communications and Information Technology is underway. RSS