Surkhet. A proposal has been sought for supplementary grants and special grants to be provided by the Karnali Province government for the fiscal year 2083/84. The provincial government has sought proposals for grants to all 79 local levels of Karnali province.

Spokesperson of the Ministry of Financial Affairs and Planning, Chetan Kumar Timilsina, said that the local levels have been requested to send the proposal of projects and programs to the provincial government as per the Supplementary Grant Work Procedure. He said that a deadline has been set with the request of all the local levels of the State to submit their proposal to the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Planning by April 1.

While submitting the proposal, the local level has been directed to propose the projects being operated from their own resources or other sources without any conflict with the programme. The local level executive has been requested to send a proposal for supplementary grant along with decision on prioritization of projects or programs as per Schedule 2 of Karnali Province Supplementary Grants (with first amendment) Working Procedure, 2081.

Similarly, the State Special Grant (First Amendment) for the special grant has been requested to be submitted in the format as per Schedule 2, Schedule 3 and Schedule 4 of the Working Procedure 2081 along with the certification of the necessary details and conditions.

It states that the projects which have already received complementary grants and are being implemented in the coming fiscal year should be given priority in order to receive the grant. Spokesperson of the Ministry, Timilsina said that the Ministry has also directed the government to give first priority to the projects and submit projects and programmes as per the work procedure.

Various criteria have been set to the local level for supplementary grants. According to the Ministry, proposals can be submitted for processing, storage and marketing of agricultural products and development of agricultural road infrastructure.

Similarly, the committee has urged the government to put forth the proposal regarding the control of irrigation and river, control of embankments and landslides, construction of infrastructures related to the production of alternative energy including solar, wind and biological, infrastructure related to drinking water and sanitation and sewerage, and construction of local buildings (community schools, ward offices and health centers).

Likewise, tourism infrastructures of public importance, service centres like schools and ward offices, schools and health institutions, local roads linking industrial villages or areas to markets, plans related to agricultural production, livestock and cooperative-based infrastructure development that will significantly contribute to the income of the local people, integrated settlement development in rural areas, alternative energy and urban development can also be proposed ।

The proposal has sought proposals for local market development, environment conservation and biodiversity infrastructures, waste management and sewerage disposal, and projects determined in the province government’s policy and programme and budget through joint investment between the province and local governments.

Likewise, the committee has urged the local levels to demand for the special grant for educational development, enhancement of quality of basic health service, drinking water and sanitation projects targeting Dalits, endangered and socio-economically backward communities.

Spokesperson Timilsina said that the special grant would be provided for the upliftment and development of the discriminated class, community and region which is discriminated against in an economic, social or any other way, to increase production and productivity and to improve the livelihood of the people.