Kathmandu, June 24:

The Supreme Court has urged the government to provide a budget of Rs 1.37 billion to the judiciary in the coming fiscal year.

The budget is needed to carry out the activities under the first five-year strategic plan of the judiciary, the SC said today.

Last year, the judiciary had sought Rs 1.20 billion budget but the government allocated only Rs 960 million. “Due to the budget deficit, we could not complete construction of court buildings and land purchases for the same,” SC spokesperson Til Prasad Shrestha told this daily.

“If the government allocates the budget as demanded this year, we can complete the construction and other activities,” Shrestha added.

After the adoption of the five-year-long strategic plan, the judiciary has been demanding at least one per cent of total annual budget. “This year we want at least Rs 445 million to carry out the remaining activities under the plan,” Shrestha added.