LALITPUR: The Ministry of Local Development (MoLD) has proposed 4 times more budget for construction of bridges across the nation for the next fiscal year.

According to MoLD, they have been preparing a proposal of about Rs 46 billion budget for the ministry for the coming fiscal year. Proposed administrative expenses are around Rs 16.73 billion while Rs 28.27 billion has been proposed for development works. “The budget and programmes have been proposed to the National Planning Commission,” said Dinesh Kumar

Thapaliya, spokesperson, MoLD.

“After NPC approval, the programmes will be included in the fiscal budget, which will be announced before mid-July,” he added.

The ministry has given priority to bridges and rural drinking water projects, said Ramesh Adhikari, officer, Planning Division, MoLD. “The two areas are our prime focus in the upcoming budget,” he added. Adhikari claimed that 4 times more budget has been proposed for bridges across the country. “Rs 2 billion has been proposed for bridges against Rs 530 million in the current fiscal year,” he said. “Rs 480 million has been proposed for rural drinking water projects against Rs 440 million this fiscal,” he added.