KATHMANDU: The Legislature-Parliament today passed the vote on account bill (peski bidheyak) unanimously, thus allowing the government to spend the state funds until the House approves the fiscal budget 2009-10.

Finance Minister Surendra Pandey had tabled the bill in the House for its

consideration. He also tabled the Appropriation Bill — the exact allocation of the budget for ministries — and the National Debt Bill, discussions on which will start on July 20.

Replying queries of the lawmakers, minister Pandey said that he was positive to hold dialogues with civil servants regarding their

demand of pay hike as per the government’s policies and programmes. “The government is serious about their demand.”

Instead of instead

their salary, the Finance Minister had announced an additional allowance amount, which the civil

servants have been protesting charging the minister

of not complying with

what had been promised in the polices and programmes. The minister also

conceded that he could not set priorities in the budget. He said that identity cards would be issued to the low-income people to avail them of state facilities.

Binod Chaudhary, a CPN-UML lawmaker, demanded that a provision be made to maintain financial transparency in the political parties’ budget from which certain portion could be deducted as tax.

Some of the lawmakers also objected to the government’s consideration of shifting a proposed university in the Mid-Western region to Nepalgunj from Surkhet. The previous government had decided to establish the Mid-Western University in Surkhet. But Nepalgunj locals have been demanding it be established in their area.

Earlier, Speaker Subas Chandra Nembang had read out a letter received from the President’s Office, which stated that DPM Bijaya Kumar Gachchhadar will be working as acting PM in the absence of PM Madhav Kumar Nepal, who has left for Egypt to take part in the 15th NAM summit.