Sudurpaschim Province government fails to deliver a budget for the current financial year

The Sudurpaschim Province government has failed to deliver the budget for the current financial year, even though over two months have passed since the start of the fiscal year.

The government had planned to allocate a budget exceeding NPR 2.5 million, with provisions for transferring funds to local levels as conditional grants and directing budget allocation to individuals, groups, organizations, private firms, and cooperatives. However, a concrete budget has yet to be presented.

The delay has caused significant administrative and financial strain, as government employees remain unpaid, and daily operational expenses are being managed through loans. Kamal Bahadur Shah, who assumed office as Chief Minister on Shrawan 21, had claimed to present the budget by the first week of Bhadra. Despite assurances that the budget would be introduced by August 21, no fixed date has been set. Political complexities are contributing to the delay.

The provincial government is currently shared between the Congress-led coalition, the UML, and the Nagarik Unmukti Party. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is controlled by Congress, while the UML holds the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, which manages the largest budget. The lack of consensus on budget allocation has prolonged the delay.

Secretary of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Jhalakram Adhikari, noted that the next budget would need to be reduced by around NPR 2 billion from the previously proposed budget of NPR 31.62 billion. The earlier budget could not be passed due to political instability, and the absence of an approved budget has severely impacted not only the provincial government but also local administrative levels. The government remains uncertain about how to proceed with the budget presentation in the provincial assembly.