KATHMANDU: The budget allocated for participatory development programmes in local bodies is yet to be disbursed though the current fiscal year will end in a little more than three months. The ministry is yet to select development programmes for the fiscal that have led to the failure to disburse the sanctioned budget.

According to the Ministry of Local Development, Rs 100 million has been allocated to run various participatory infrastructure development activities for the current fiscal. Moreover, the Ministry of Finance has also allocated Rs 450 million for the same purpose. Subas Chandra Shibakoti, officer, MoLD said, "The budget is used in petty infrastructure development in the local level. The concerned local body contributes 10 per cent of total budget of any project while the locals contribute 20 per cent of the budget through participation."

The ministry officials said the projects are yet to be selected due to lack of a new directive.

The directive has been issued, recently, they said. The budget for the same purpose was disbursed in February last year, however.

Purushottam Nepal, under secretary, MoLD, said that the concerned minister should be held responsible for the failure to disburse the budget in the local bodies. "We have urged the cabinet to issue permission letter regarding project selection and disbursement of budget," he said.

"However, we are yet to receive green signal from the cabinet," he added.

The government is busy disbursing on the last day of the fiscal year. It happened last year and it is highly likely same will be the scene this year too.

The budget allocated for development should be spent earlier than the end of fiscal year (Mid-July), said Shibakoti. "If it is not used, it will go unused," he added.

The annual fiscal budget

of MoLD hovers around Rs 40 billion.