Kathmandu. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development Prakash Man Singh has said in today’s meeting of the National Assembly that a balanced budget has been allocated under the Ministry of Urban Development.

Responding to the queries raised in the National Assembly on various headings under the Appropriation Bill-2082 BS, he said the budget has been allocated to maintain the provincial balance on the basis of geographical and demographic ratio within the scope of the ceiling received by the Ministry.

Minister Singh informed the Assembly that rs 91.34 billion has been allocated for the programme to be implemented by the federal government in the coming fiscal year 2082/83 BS, Rs 9.89 billion for the programme to be implemented by the state, Rs 15.91 billion for the programme to be implemented by the local level and Rs 1.19 billion for the financial management.

“I would like to express my gratitude for not submitting any proposal to cut expenditure in the budget and annual development programme for the upcoming fiscal year 2082/83 BS. I am confident that the suggestions here will facilitate the implementation of the ministry’s programmes,” he said, adding that most of the budget was allocated only in some of the main districts. According to the transformative strategy of the 16th Periodic Plan, the major urban centers and provincial capitals have been targeted to be developed as economic centers with original identity. ’

Minister Singh clarified that the federal parliament, minister’s residence and the management of houses of VIPs, works within the Singha Durbar complex, construction of sanitary landfill site under construction at Banchredanda are in Bagmati province.

According to him, the ministry’s budget has been allocated to maintain the overall provincial balance even though there seems to be an imbalance in some heads as some of the projects run with foreign assistance are applicable only in the designated areas and certain municipalities of certain provinces as per the agreement with the development partners.

According to him, budget allocation has been given to infrastructure development under Itahari, Damak, Kakarbhitta, Butwal, Bhairahawa, Bhimdutta, Attariya and Dhangadhi areas, which are the main urban economic corridors as per the National Urban Development Strategy.

The budget has not been allocated on the basis of accessibility and influence but on the basis of need. He said that the demand for small projects from the local level under the Settlement Development Program is high, so while proposing the program from the concerned ministry, the programs demanded by the local level related to the scope of the ministry have been given priority.

Minister Singh informed that the budget has been allocated for the implementation of programs worth Rs 10 million to Rs 30 million from the provincial offices and programs with a budget of up to Rs 10 million from the local level within the scope of the project classification criteria-2080 to address these projects.

Minister Singh said that a new city project has been started for the planned development of the new city located on the mid-hill highway, new cities, ‘smart city’ have been envisioned realizing the need for urban development in other cities as well, and the program has been proposed in the remaining places by giving priority to the implementation in 10 new cities around the mid-hill highway due to limited resources.

According to him, replacing the roof with zinc sheets under the Safe Citizen Housing Program has adversely affected the growing climate change in the Terai and the hills. He said that the program would be conducted in the coming fiscal year giving priority to the use of other materials based on the report received from the study as the urban infrastructure technology research and training center under the Ministry is studying and researching the alternatives to zinc sheets.

Minister Singh has urged all to support this budget as the Ministry is moving towards achieving the goal of building a prosperous Nepal by realizing the plan to expand the program in the areas of urban development, housing, building and local infrastructure under the purview of the Ministry of Urban Development.