One-third of Kavre dev budget remains unspent

BANEPA, July 22:

One-third of budget earmarked for development activities in Kavre district remained unspent in Fiscal Year 2014/15.

According to District Treasury Comptroller Office, only 67 percent of development budget worth Rs 679.7 million was spent in the past fiscal year. This means Rs 224.2 million allocated for development activities remained unspent. The office has cited reasons like impacts of earthquake and slow work performance by the contractors behind weak spending.

Ram Bahadur Khadka, chief treasury comptroller of Kavre, attributed low development spending to slow work performance of contractors, impact of earthquake and red tape.

Statistics maintained by the office shows Urban Development and Building Division Office was the weak performer in the review year as it failed to spend development budget of Rs 83.4 million. Similarly, District Education Office and Drinking Water and Sanitation Division failed to spend Rs 36.4 million and Rs 20.8 million, respectively, in the last fiscal year.

Khadka said Rs 28.3 million of District Development Office, Rs 9.7 million of District Technical Office, Rs 9 million of District Administration Office, and Rs 4.74 million of Central Regional Irrigation Division Office has been frozen. All frozen fund has to be returned to the central treasury office. Offices can spend in projects only after seeking authorization from the finance ministry through their respective line ministries.

Expenditure figures of 42 government offices in the districts are maintained in the Treasury Single Accounts (TSA). Spending of five municipalities in the district as well as grants received by the District Development Committee, however, are not recorded in TSA.

Meanwhile, revenue collection in Kavre district increased by 7 percent to Rs 728.4 million in 2014/15, according to the office.

Source: Republica