Kathmandu: Members of Nepal's federal parliament have expressed strong discontent over the government's proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2081/82 BS.

During today's House of Representatives (HoR) meeting, lawmakers demonstrated their dissatisfaction through various means, including tearing apart the annual development program booklet, returning budget copies to the government, and observing moments of silence in protest.

Key Issues Raised:
Uneven Budget Allocation:

Electoral Constituencies Favoritism: Lawmakers criticized the disproportionate budget allocation favoring the electoral constituencies of certain ministers, neglecting areas in greater need.

Lack of Resource Assessment: Concerns were raised about the unfair and indiscriminate allocation of budget without proper resource assessment.

Criticism from Both Sides:

Opposition and Ruling Party Alike: Discontent was not limited to opposition members; even ruling party lawmakers voiced serious reservations about the budget.

Project Distribution: Complaints were made regarding the establishment of several projects based on power and accessibility rather than need, leading to imbalanced budget distribution.
Specific Protests and Statements:

Rajendra Lingden: The President of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party tore apart the annual development program booklet of the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport, criticizing the budget allocation as indiscriminate and ministerially directed.

Dilendra Prasad Badu: A lawmaker from the main opposition, Nepali Congress, observed a minute of silence in protest and returned the budget Red Book through the Speaker, highlighting the budget's ignorance of his constituency.

Gyan Bahadur Shahi: Returned the development program booklet to the government, citing the neglect of the Karnali region in the budget.

Shishir Khanal: A ruling party lawmaker, criticized the budget for its inequitable distribution of resources, calling it a form of "neo-feudalism" favoring certain constituencies.

Gokul Prasad Baskota: Questioned the alignment of the budget with the country's five-year plans, indicating a lack of coherence in budgetary targets.

Criticism of Federalism and Balance:

Sudan Kirati: Criticized the budget for being against the spirit of federalism and unbalanced, questioning whether it aimed to undermine the Prime Minister's federalism advocacy.

Lawmaker Comments:
Leelanath Shrestha, Surya Bahadur Thapa Chhetri, Bimala Subedi, Deepak Giri, Madhab Sapkota, Dr Chandra Bhandari, Sunita Baral, Tshiring Lyamu Lama (Tamang), Ramhari Khatiwada, Tara Lama, Mahantha Thakur, Prabhu Saha, Mahindra Roy Yadav, Rekha Yadav, and Lalbir Chaudhary: These lawmakers also expressed reservations, criticizing the budget's lack of balance and equitable distribution.

Conclusion:
The HoR meeting highlighted widespread dissatisfaction among lawmakers regarding the government's proposed budget, reflecting concerns over fairness, balance, and the prioritization of development projects. The strong reactions from both opposition and ruling party members underscore the need for a more equitable and transparent budget allocation process.

The HoR meeting highlighted widespread dissatisfaction among lawmakers regarding the government's proposed budget, reflecting concerns over fairness, balance, and the prioritization of development projects. The strong reactions from both opposition and ruling party members underscore the need for a more equitable and transparent budget allocation process.