NC General Secretary Sharma urges government to include mountain issues in budget

KATHMANDU: Nepali Congress (NC) General Secretary Bishwa Prakash Sharma has urged the incumbent government to incorporate key mountain issues in the upcoming annual budget, with the annual estimate of income and expenditure for the fiscal year 2025/26 scheduled to be announced on Thursday.

In an open letter addressed to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli after returning from Everest Base Camp recently, NC leader Sharma called for budgetary provisions to support mountain communities and conserve mountain heritage. He requested that the government consider issues such as insurance for 'respected' porters, pension for professional climbers, the establishment of a government tower at Everest Base Camp, improved access to technology and the government's presence in the Everest region in the upcoming budget.

In the letter titled "Mountain life, mountain tourism and expectations from the government", Sharma drew the government's attention to the construction of roads along the trekking route without destroying the existing trekking trail and to the construction of a suspension bridge at Thukla.

Earlier, Sharma had penned a letter to PM Oli from Everest Base Camp, urging the current leadership to take the lead on climate action and climate justice. During his trek from Lukla to Everest Base Camp and near Camp III of Sagarmatha (Mt Everest) this spring, he observed and experienced numerous challenges, shortfalls and ordeals, which he later highlighted in his maiden letter to the Head of Government. He emphasised the urgency of protecting mountains from the adverse impact of climate change and stressed the need for Nepal to expand "Sagarmatha Sambaad" into a global leadership platform on climate change.

Nepal remains one of the most climate-vulnerable countries in the world despite contributing a negligible 0.027% to global carbon emissions.

"Immediate direction is imperative. It is essential to strike a budgetary balance among Tarai, Hill and Mountain and while achieving balance in the budget, we must ensure that the mountains are not left without justice. Let the Himalayas be visible in this budget," Sharma appealed in the letter.

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