Sudurpaschim Province Presents Rs 37.7 Billion Budget Amid Political Dispute and Delay

The Sudurpaschim Province government has presented its budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84 late on Monday night at 11:45 pm, amid internal disagreements within ruling party lawmakers and protests from opposition parties. The budget presentation came hours after the constitutionally mandated deadline of Asar 1.

Minister for Economic Affairs Bikram Singh Dhami unveiled a total budget of Rs 37.70 billion for the province. According to the budget estimates, the provincial government plans to mobilize Rs 1.72 billion from internal revenue sources.

Revenue sharing with the federal government is expected to contribute Rs 10.24 billion, while royalty income is projected at Rs 70 million. The budget further includes Rs 9.6 billion from fiscal equalization grants, Rs 6.3 billion from conditional grants, Rs 383 million from supplementary grants, and Rs 526 million from special grants. Additionally, Rs 9.62 billion has been projected from savings and unspent allocations of the current fiscal year.

The provincial assembly session began amid immediate protest from lawmakers, who stood in opposition as proceedings started. Speaker Bhim Bahadur Bhandari later allowed time for discussion, during which Assembly member Man Bahadur Dhami criticized the government for its inability to present the budget on time, calling it a sign of administrative weakness.

Following the protest, opposition lawmakers staged a walkout from the assembly hall, further highlighting the political tensions surrounding the budget presentation.