Lawmakers propose Re 1 cut in ministry budgets in Appropriation Bill, 2025
KATHMANDU: Lawmaker of CPN (Maoist Centre), Shakti Bahadur Basnet, has presented a proposal seeking to reduce the expenditure amount by Re 1 under the heading of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport (MoPIT) in the Appropriation Bill, 2025. Presenting his proposal at today’s meeting of the House of Representatives, Basnet expressed his disagreement, citing that although the MoPIT budget has increased, it has not been allocated in a justified manner. He argued, "The budget was not allocated for the development of road infrastructure in some constituency areas. What could be more irresponsible than this?" He added, "The budget has also been reduced in major corridors. Some districts have ample funding for infrastructure development, while other districts have no budget allocated under this heading. It is not fair."
Ram Kumar Rai, from the main opposition party, the CPN (Maoist Centre), has proposed reducing the budget allocated for the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies under the Appropriation Bill, 2025 by Re 1. He said, "We have been raising our voices in favour of promoting exports. For this, we need to market local alcohol and there is no budget allocated for domestic industries such as jute mills and the bamboo industry. Similarly, no budget has been allocated for manufacturing modern agricultural tools. No budget has been set aside for self-reliance either," while presenting his proposal at today’s meeting of the House of Representatives.
Devendra Paudel from the Maoist Centre has proposed reducing the allocation for the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation by one rupee under the Appropriation Bill, 2025. Presenting his proposal, Paudel expressed his disagreement, stating that although land had been promised to Dalits, landless people, squatters and those without proper documentation, the budget made no mention of how the land would be made available to them. "The budget could not address the real issues of the people," he alleged.
Similarly, lawmaker Prem Suwal from the Nepal Workers Peasants Party (NWPP) has proposed reducing the allocated amount in the Appropriation Bill, 2025 for the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, the MoPIT, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Supplies and the Ministry of Land Management, Cooperatives and Poverty Alleviation. Presenting his proposal, MP Suwal said that issues such as ensuring the rights of farmers and workers and increasing agricultural production have not been prioritised in the budget, emphasising that investment in hydropower production needs to be increased.
By RSS
