Far-west provincial government spends only one percent of development budget in first quarter

Dhangadhi: The Far-West provincial government has spent only one percent of its allocated capital expenditure during the first three months of the current fiscal year 2082/83.

Ministry officials have cited the Genji Movement and other disruptions as reasons for the low capital expenditure until mid-Asoj. The one percent expenditure in the development budget primarily reflects outstanding payments for projects completed in the previous fiscal year.

According to the Provincial Controller of Accounts Office, Rs. 198 million 29 thousand 825 was spent on capital expenditure in this three-month period, while Rs. 1 billion 187 million 29 thousand 675, or 9 percent, was spent on current expenditure. For the fiscal year, the provincial government has allocated Rs. 13 billion 52 million 61 thousand for current expenditure and Rs. 19 billion 82 million 52 thousand 6 for capital expenditure. Total expenditure accounts for only 4 percent of the total budget of Rs. 33 billion 36 million 13 thousand 6.

The Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development, which received the highest budget allocation, reported the lowest expenditure at just 1.63 percent. Of the Rs. 15.32 billion 17 thousand allocated, only Rs. 251.21 million 440 thousand was spent. Capital expenditure from the allocated Rs. 14.70 billion 91 million 53 thousand reached only Rs. 161.97 million, while Rs. 89.923 million 734 thousand of the Rs. 618.64 million 61 thousand 864 allocated for current expenditure was utilized.

Mohan Kunwar, acting secretary of the ministry, explained that most projects under the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development are new, requiring time for assessment, which has limited capital work this year.

The Ministry of Social Development, with the second-highest budget of Rs. 6.94 billion 555 thousand, has spent Rs. 479.29 million 751, representing 6.90 percent of its total budget. The ministry utilized 11.46 percent of its current expenditure and only 0.59 percent of its capital expenditure during the period, according to the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.

Among other development ministries, the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives spent 3.34 percent of its Rs. 3.297 billion budget, while the Ministry of Industry, Tourism, Forest and Environment recorded the highest development expenditure at 6.57 percent, spending Rs. 153.396 million of its Rs. 2.334 billion allocation.