KATHMANDU

Twenty-three local governments have not yet submitted the details of the budget they presented for the current fiscal year to the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration.

The local-levels are required to update the details of the yearly budget on the central portal after it is endorsed by rural and municipal assemblies when the Local Government Operation Act, 2074 BS, mandates the local government to endorse the budget by mid-July.

Though four months have already passed since the beginning of the fiscal year 2080–81 BS (2023–24), 23 local governments, including 21 in the Madhesh Province, did not update the details in the system. According to the Ministry, it has already asked those local-levels many times for details submissions, but the full updates are still awaited. It is said the budget brought in for some local levels has not been endorsed by the rural and municipal assemblies.

 Chitwan’s Rapti municipality chief administrative officer, Nilam Kumar Neupane, said the budget for the local government had already been passed, but the entry into the federal government’s system is pending, while Tehrathum’s Aathrai rural municipality administrative officer, Niraj Sharma, said the budget details have yet to be updated on the Ministry’s website.

Other municipalities that are yet to submit the budget details to the federal ministry include Kanchanrup municipality, Chhinnamasta rural municipality, Mahadeva rural municipality and Rupani Municipality in Saptari, Aurahi rural municipality and Bhagawanpur rural municipality in Sirhaha, Aurahi rural municipality and Kamala municipality in Dhanusha, Balara municipality, Haripurwa municipality and Chandranagar rural municipality in Sarlahi, Garuda municipality, Katahariya municipality, Gadhimai municipality, Phatuwa Bijaypur municipality, Madhabnarayan municipality, Maulapur municipality and Yamunamai rural municipality in Rautahat, Simraungadh municipality and Adarsha Kotwal rural municipality in Bara and Sakhuwa Prasauni rural municipality in Parsa.