Kathmandu, July 9

Responding to the dissatisfaction expressed by lawmakers over haphazard disbursement of budget, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday said there was still room to include important projects, if they had been excluded.

The prime minister was replying to the queries of lawmakers regarding ministries and offices that PM Oli is responsible for. The PM said the budget could not be termed as biased. He added that the government was ready to discuss incorporating important projects if they were missed.

He also vowed to make the budget for the new fiscal year presented by his government a point of departure for leading the country on the path of becoming a developed nation.

Responding to a lawmaker’s question whether the budget only belonged to the NC and UML, PM Oli said the budget presented by the government belonged to all — the ruling parties, the opposition and people.

He also talked about the government’s plan to establish additional division offices, complete the ongoing projects within the stipulated time frame, equip the existing offices and the to-be-established offices and effectively carry out inter-ministerial coordination related to the activities of the Ministry of Urban Development.

Expressing grief over loss of lives and properties due to the recent natural disasters, he said the government would bear the medical expenses for treatment of those injured in the disaster.

Informing that the budget had plans to construct 20,000 housing units for impoverished and marginalised people next year, he claimed that development projects would only be initiated according to suggestions and in the cooperation of respective lawmakers.

He said Rs 500 million each had been allocated for the ring roads that would be constructed at the headquarters of Tarai districts from the upcoming fiscal year.

On holding dialogue with the agitating parties, PM Oli said he has already written two formal invitations to them while frequent informal meetings were also held at different levels.  He said there was no alternative to dialogue to resolve the differences.

Appropriation Bill endorsed

KATHMANDU: The Parliament on Saturday passed the Appropriation Bill through majority vote after a long discussion and after the respective ministers provided answers to queries regarding the budget of respective ministries. Finance Minister Bishnu Poudel presented the proposal to endorse the appropriation Bill in the Parliament.