Sunsari. The Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City has decided to present the budget along with the policy and programme for the current fiscal year 2082/83 for approval in the municipal assembly on September 20.
According to Dharan Sub-metropolis-17 ward chair and municipality spokesperson Surya Prasad Bhattarai (Manoj), today’s executive meeting endorsed the policy and programme along with a total budget of Rs 2.20 billion.
Earlier, the municipal assembly was scheduled to be held on September 26 but was postponed due to vandalism, looting and arson in Dharan during the Genji agitation. Although the Local Government Operation Act, 2074 BS has a legal provision that the budget for each fiscal year should be passed by mid-July, the Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City has forwarded the budget process only after three months.
Development works, remuneration, social security allowance, public services and financial transactions have come to a standstill in Dharan sub-metropolis for the past three months due to lack of budget. Mayor Harka Raj Rai (Sampang) and deputy mayor Aindra Bikram Begha could not hold the executive meeting for a long time due to differences over the voluntary labour programme, administrative decision and budget ceiling.
The Revenue Advisory Committee held on May 15 under the leadership of Deputy Mayor Begha had proposed a budget of Rs 1.60 billion. However, the process could not move forward due to differences in the process of finalization. According to the sub-metropolis, the development of the municipality was affected due to lack of coordination among the people’s representatives and political disagreement and now it is expected that works would move ahead with the passage of the budget.
The meeting also passed a condolence motion paying tribute to those who lost their lives during the Jenji agitation on September 7 and 24. The meeting also decided to establish an educational fund of Rs 500,000 for the two sons of Sajan Mewahang Rai of Dharan Sub-metropolis-5, who was shot dead during the agitation in Bhaktapur on September 9.
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