House Passes Proposal to Begin Discussion on Appropriation Bill 2083

The House of Representatives on Thursday unanimously approved a proposal seeking consideration on the Appropriation Bill, 2083, paving the way for detailed discussions on the budget. The proposal was presented by Finance Minister Dr. Swarnim Wagle during today's meeting of the lower house.

Responding to concerns raised by lawmakers, Finance Minister Wagle said that many issues related to budget allocation would become clearer during the ministry-wise discussions on the bill.

During the debate, lawmakers expressed different views regarding the budget. Basana Thapa said that the education and health sectors had not received adequate allocations, while Renuka Kauch criticized the government for failing to address the burden of long-term debt.

Similarly, Gopal Sharma stated that the appropriation bill lacked balance between current and capital expenditure and noted that grants to local governments had been reduced. Narendra Kumar Kerung urged the government to arrange additional resources to strengthen the health insurance programme and called for measures to simplify the tax system.

Pushpa Raj Kandel stressed the need for sufficient funding to complete national pride projects on time, while Krishna Hari Budhathoki said limited resources should be used more effectively to improve infrastructure development.

Raising concerns over the condition of earthquake victims in Jajarkot, Parbati BK said that many affected families had yet to receive relief and urged the government to allocate adequate funds for their support.

Other lawmakers, including Rajendra Kumar Rai, Ganesh BK, Guru Prasad Baral, Yashoda Kumari Baral, Khusbhu Oli and Pabitra BK, also shared their views on different aspects of the Appropriation Bill during the discussion.