Manahari Rural Municipality Presents Budget of NPR 985.7 Million for Fiscal Year 2083/84

Hetauda. Makwanpur's Manahari Rural Municipality has presented a budget of NPR 985.7 million for the upcoming fiscal year 2083/84. In the 19th session meeting of the rural municipality on Wednesday, Vice-Chairperson Sita Pulami Magar presented an income and expenditure estimate of NPR 108.5 million more than the current fiscal year. The rural municipality is currently implementing a budget of NPR 877.2 million for the current fiscal year. Of the total allocated budget for the upcoming fiscal year, 36.78 percent (NPR 362.5 million) is allocated for capital expenditure and 63.22 percent (NPR 623.1 million) for current expenditure. The largest portion of the upcoming year's budget is for infrastructure development. The rural municipality has allocated NPR 349.1 million (35.42 percent) for infrastructure development. NPR 281.8 million (28.59 percent) is allocated for social development, NPR 146.6 million (14.88 percent) for office operation and administrative responsibilities, and NPR 138.5 million (14.05 percent) for financial management, good governance, and institutional development. NPR 53.1 million is allocated for economic development and NPR 16.5 million for forest, environment, and disaster management. In terms of income, the rural municipality aims to generate the most revenue from the sale of riverbed materials (Dahattar-Bahattar). The estimate is to earn NPR 267.4 million solely from the sale of Dahattar-Bahattar next year. An estimated NPR 368.1 million is expected to be received from the federal government through equalization, revenue sharing, conditional, complementary, and special grants. An expectation of NPR 62.6 million is anticipated from the provincial government through equalization, vehicle tax sharing, conditional, complementary, and special grants. Vice-Chairperson Pulami stated that the target is to manage NPR 41.5 million from internal sources and bank balances. For sectoral programs, NPR 211.9 million has been allocated for education. This includes the management of early childhood development teachers, school staff, purchase of school buses, and youth and sports programs. A budget of NPR 48.2 million has been allocated for health. Priority has been given to programs such as monthly treatment support for impoverished patients suffering from cancer, kidney transplants, dialysis, and spinal cord paralysis, health insurance programs, and the purchase of an ambulance. NPR 18.1 million has been allocated for agriculture. Programs such as distribution of agricultural tools, production-based grants, cold storage rental subsidies, crop insurance, and land rental subsidies for landless farmers will be operated. A budget of NPR 23.5 million has been allocated for livestock development. Programs such as per-liter incentive grants for milk, control of epidemic diseases, distribution of cow dung mats, and promotion of animal husbandry will be continued. For infrastructure, budget has been allocated for the road connecting Manahari-8 and 9, upgrading the Lothar-Pangthali road, construction of ward office buildings, and completion of the rural municipality's administrative building. Vice-Chairperson Pulami stated that more than NPR 34 million, including federal, provincial, and local resources, is estimated to be spent in the overall infrastructure sector. For employment promotion, NPR 4.7 million, for women's development NPR 1.7 million, for children NPR 2.7 million, and for social inclusion programs NPR 11.6 million have been allocated. For forest, environment, and disaster management, the rural municipality has stated that programs such as fire truck purchase, disaster fund operation, forest fire control, tree plantation, waste management, and climate adaptation programs will be operated. For this, NPR 11.5 million has been set aside. Vice-Chairperson Pulami expressed confidence that the budget presented will lay the foundation for building a prosperous Manahari by prioritizing education, health, agriculture, and infrastructure. The rural assembly was held under the chairmanship of the rural municipality's chairman Ranjan Kalakheti. The next meeting of the rural assembly has been called for Ashadh 13 to discuss and pass the budget.