KATHMANDU: Security forces — both army and police — have been allotted larger amount in this year’s budget in comparison with that of last fiscal.

A total of Rs 15.59 billion has been allocated for Nepali Army (NA) in the current budget, against Rs 12.50 billion in the last fiscal.

The Chief of Army Staff, Rookmangud Katawal, had reportedly proposed that the government provided the NA with approximately Rs 18 billion in the this fiscal.

Going by the previous budgets to the national army, the difference between the proposed and actual allotted sum was very less — just 2.12 per cent — in the last fiscal year. The NA had proposed Rs 12.50 billion

and the then government had sanctioned Rs 12.23 billion. In the budget

two years ago, the NA

had asked for Rs 13 billion while the government had provided just Rs 10.36 billion.

Likewise, the finance minister allotted Rs 14. 74 billion budget to police force, which comprises of Nepal Police and Armed Police Force (APF). This is almost double the amount allotted in the last fiscal. Of the total sum, Rs 4.4 billion will go to the APF.

In the last fiscal, only Rs 7.88 billion budget was provided to the police while the demand was Rs. 11.48 billion. In the budget two years ago, the police had received more than 38 per cent less budget than demanded.