Kathmandu. The Madhes Province government has spent 56.31 per cent of the total budget in the fiscal year 2082÷83. According to the Expenditure Progress Report made public by the Ministry of Finance of Madhes Province, the province has spent 60.69 per cent of the current budget and 54.12 per cent of the capital expenditure in the fiscal year 2082÷83.

The province government had allocated a total budget of Rs 46.98 billion for the fiscal year 2082÷83, including Rs 15.63 billion for recurrent expenditure and Rs 31.34 billion for capital expenditure. Out of this, Rs 2.645 billion has been spent in recurrent expenditure and Rs 16.96 billion in capital expenditure, according to Rajendra Acharya, data officer at the Ministry of Finance.

According to Acharya, the Ministry of Health and Population has spent the highest amount of 71.45 per cent of the total expenditure allocated to the ministry. According to Acharya, the ministry has spent 79.14 per cent of the recurrent budget and 58.01 per cent of the capital expenditure.

Similarly, the State Public Service Commission has spent 84.40 per cent of the budget, the Office of the Chief Attorney 73.01 per cent, the Ministry of Finance 65.68 per cent, the Provincial Assembly Secretariat 65.60 per cent and the Ministry of Forest and Environment 63.76 per cent. The Ministry of Education and Culture has spent 60.88 per cent of the budget while the Ministry of Physical Infrastructure Development has spent 58.67 per cent.

Similarly, the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and Tourism has spent 51.77 per cent of the budget, the Ministry of Labour and Transport 49.91 per cent, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Communications and Law 48.92 per cent, the Ministry of Land Management, Agriculture and Cooperatives 47.87 per cent, the Ministry of Sports and Social Welfare 46.17 per cent and the Ministry of Energy, Irrigation and Water Supply 40.65 per cent.

According to the Ministry of Finance, the Office of the Chief Minister and Council of Ministers is the weakest in terms of expenditure progress. The office has spent only 37.06 per cent of the total budget. The Chief Minister’s Office has spent only 40.37 per cent of the current expenditure and 17.79 per cent of the capital expenditure.

Similarly, the Province Policy and Planning Commission has spent 54.07 per cent while no expenditure has been made under the headings of employee facilities, retirement facilities and finance till mid-July. Overall, the capital expenditure is still less than the current expenditure. However, by the end of the fiscal year, the provincial government has managed to spend more than half of the total budget, or 56.31 percent, according to the data of the Ministry of Finance.

Finance Minister of Madhes Province Yubaraj Bhattarai said that only half of the budget was spent due to the loss budget brought by the erstwhile government, damaged the structures of the province government due to the Genji agitation on September 7 and 24 and the frequent change of government. According to him, it is satisfactory that the expenditure of the province government has exceeded 56 per cent by the end of the fiscal year as the plans of the state government have been implemented in a speedy manner.