Sudurpaschim province faces daily revenue loss of 40 lakh rupees amid budget impasse

Dhangadhi The Sudurpaschim state government is grappling with a significant revenue loss, estimated at 40 lakh rupees daily, due to the delay in passing the state budget.

This financial setback is attributed to the budget for the current fiscal year, which was supposed to be implemented from Shrawan 1st, remaining unapproved. Consequently, all revenue and expenditure activities of the state government have come to a standstill.

This situation originated under the leadership of the former Chief Minister Dirgha Bahadur Sodari and Economic Affairs Minister Surendra Bahadur Pal, who announced the budget but failed to secure its passage.

As a result, the financial operations of the state government have been paralyzed, leading to substantial daily losses. In a recent development, the newly appointed Chief Minister Kamal Bahadur Shah has pledged to resolve the budgetary deadlock by finalizing the budget process on Monday.

Bahadur Singh Thapa, the new Minister of Economic Affairs, indicated that preparations are underway to introduce the budget through an ordinance, aiming to end the current budget vacuum. To facilitate this, the state government plans to conclude the special session of the state assembly.

Despite these assurances, the delay has already inflicted significant financial damage. The Shah-led government is preparing to proceed with the budget ordinance after concluding the special session, a move similar to the one former Chief Minister Sodari attempted but failed to execute.

The release of a PDF file without budget approval drew widespread criticism. Chief Minister Shah emphasized adherence to constitutional provisions for handling the state's general expenditure and revenue matters, although he clarified that the appropriation bill would not be introduced immediately but would be presented in the House in due course.

In an effort to address the crisis, a meeting of the provincial assembly has been convened today (Wednesday). Notably, Surendra Bahadur Pal, who served as the Minister of Economic Affairs under Sodari's administration and currently holds the position of Physical Infrastructure Development Minister in Shah's government, presented the budget for the current fiscal year on Ashar 1.

As Sudurpaschim state navigates this challenging financial period, all eyes are on the newly appointed government to see how effectively it can restore fiscal stability and ensure the smooth functioning of the state's economic activities.