DHANGADI, JULY 4
Sudurpaschim Province government has found itself in an awkward situation after the ruling PA members stood against the policies and programmes of their own government.
Crisis has emerged after a number of PA members representing CPN-Maoist Centre, CPN-Unified Socialist and Nepali Congress vowed not to allow ratification of budget without amendment.
Nepali Congress PA member Bharat Khadka accused the government of running in a setting of select ministers and violating standards of budget-making norms and practices.
"The government has kind of committed crime by trampling all standards of budget-making norms and practices and selecting plans in exchange for commissions. We won't allow such a budget to be put through the PA meeting," Khadka said.
CPN (US) PA Purna Joshi also said the government's policies and programmes could not be ratified in status quo. As learnt, CPN (US) parliamentary party leader and Physical Infrastructure Development Minister Dirgha Sodari, on the other hand, has dug his heels in support of the budget, insisting that the budget must be passed without any amendment.
In the case of CPN-MC, its PA members are said to be preparing to defy their own party's decision.
CPN-MC's Maheshdatta Joshi, Shanti Nepali, Devaki Malla and Kunti Joshi have said there is no way the budget can make it through the PA.
They're said to have voiced their opposition to the parliamentary party meeting's ruling at the meeting itself.
Two other PA members - Birman Chaudhary and Akkal Rawal, who were absent at the meeting - too are said to be against passing the budget.
"There is a possibility that the party will issue a whip, but nothing will stop us, as people's representatives, against the anomalies in the making of the budget," said leader Mahesh Datta Joshi.
Meanwhile, given the strong protest even from the ruling PA members, discussion over the government policies and programmes in the province has been shelved again and again.
Amidst the protest, it's worth noting that around half of the total 36 billion rupees worth budget has been allocated for the Physical Infrastructure Development Ministry.
A version of this article appears in the print on July 5, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
