KATHMANDU, July 15

Ruling coalition partner CPN-UML on Wednesday objected to the fiscal budgetary programmes, stating that they undervalued and excluded the names of its renowned leaders, including Madan Bhandari, Pushpa Lal Shrestha and Manmohan Adhikari, from social welfare programmes.

Speaking in the Parliament, UML leaders said the Nepali Congress-led government brought the budget unilaterally and threatened not to vote in support of the budget in the Parliament if the finance minister did not correct the budgetary programmes. It generally takes two to three months to put the budget to vote for its endorsement after holding extensive discussions on it, as per the previous parliamentary practices.

Budget violates the basic culture of a coalition govt. I can’t oppose it, as I belong to the ruling coalition, nor can I support it, as it mentions budgetary provisions as if it’s NC’s majority govt

• Surendra Pande, UML leader

Taking part in preliminary discussions in Parliament on the budget presented by Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat yesterday, UML leaders criticised NC for completely ignoring the UML and bringing the budget unilaterally.

“The budget was brought by forgetting the basic culture of a coalition government,” said UML leader Surendra Pande, adding, “I cannot oppose the budget, as I belong to the ruling coalition, nor can I support it, as it has mentioned budgetary programmes as if it’s NC’s majority government.”

Pande said NC’s Ramchandra Paudel tried to equate UML popular leader Madan Bhandari with NC’s Hari Bahadur Khadka (former MP from Baglung who died in an accident a few months ago). “Can we equate Ramchandra Paudel with Golchhe Sarki? Did you not feel ashamed while saying this?” Pande said addressing Paudel. Sarki, former UML member of National Assembly, had slapped Paudel, who was a minister then, in the assembly meeting, around two decades ago.

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Just before Pande’s address, Paudel had said, “It is appreciable that the budget announced to set up trauma centres in the names of popular UML leader Madan Bhandari and NC’s popular leader from Baglung Hari Bahadur Khadka.” The budget has announced to set up trauma centres in Bharatpur Hospital and Baglung Hospital in the names Bhandari and Khadka, respectively.