6 former finance ministers who have not been able to bring budget for 2 consecutive fiscal years are in the fray, who is in the fray?
लगानी न्यूज
. Nominations have already been filed for 165 seats under the first-past-the-post (FPTP) category in the House of Representatives election scheduled for March 4. More than 3,400 people have filed their candidacies for the same post from across the country.
From those who have contested the election under the election symbols of various political parties, to those who have filed independent candidacy, those who have a long political background and parliamentary practice, to those who appear to be aspirants for the first time, have filed their nominations.TAG_OPEN_div_50 Four former prime ministers are vying for the post of federal parliamentarian while 6 former finance ministers and one former state minister are vying for the post of federal parliamentarian.
Former Prime Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai, former Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel, Barshaman Pun and Janardan Sharma, Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, former Finance Minister Prakash Sharan Mahat, former Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel, Barshaman Pun and Janardan Sharma, are the candidates in the upcoming elections under the FPTP system.TAG_OPEN_div_48 Former Minister of State for Finance Udaya Shumsher JBR is also in the FPTP election.
Despite his affiliation with the top political party, recognition as an influential politician and strong subject knowledge, none of these former finance ministers could bring the budget for two consecutive fiscal years.TAG_OPEN_div_46 None of these finance ministers got the opportunity to continue last year’s plans and programs in the last year due to the series of political alliances and government formations that have been changed time and again. The process of having one person at the helm of the finance ministry while formulating the budget and another during the implementation of the budget was repeated.
The budget history since 2065 BS shows that Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada, who entered the parliament as a member of the National Assembly, presented three budgets, Constituent Assembly member Dr Ram Sharan Mahat two and the then Finance Minister Shankar Prasad Koirala presented two budgets consecutively.TAG_OPEN_div_44 Except for the budget and supplementary budget brought through the ordinance, none of the aforementioned former finance ministers as a member of the House of Representatives have been able to bring the budget for two consecutive years.
Dr Bhattarai, who is also the former Prime Minister, has filed his candidacy for the upcoming House of Representatives election from Gorkha constituency-2.TAG_OPEN_div_42 Bhattarai, who is contesting the election from the Progressive Democratic Party, had presented the budget for the fiscal year 2065÷66 as the Finance Minister. Two budgets were presented that year, June and September. Dr Bhattarai’s political career started from the then CPN (4th Congress) in 2027 BS to the founding president of All India Nepali Unity Society in 2034 BS, chairman of United Janamorcha in 2047 BS, underground life till 2051 BS after joining the then CPN (Maoist) and then to mainstream active politics.
Former Finance Minister Barshaman Pun has filed his candidacy for the post of Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) from Rolpa-1.TAG_OPEN_div_40 He was elected to the House of Representatives from Rolpa constituency-1 in 2079. Pun became the minister for peace and reconstruction in 2067BS, finance minister in 2068BS, energy, water resources and irrigation in 2074BS and finance minister in 2080BS. He presented the annual budget for the fiscal year 2081/82 and the budget for the fiscal year 2069/70 through ordinance.
Former Finance Minister Bishnu Prasad Poudel, who had filed his candidacy from CPN-UML in Rupandehi-2 for the House of Representatives election 2082, was elected from the same constituency in the 2079 BS election.TAG_OPEN_div_38 Poudel, who has served as finance minister for five times and presented the budget for three fiscal years, was a member of the Constituent Assembly in 2064 and 2070 BS and a member of the House of Representatives in 2074 BS. Poudel presented the budget for the current fiscal year 2082/83. Poudel was the finance minister when the budget was presented for the fiscal year 2073/74 and fiscal year 2078/79. Poudel became the minister for youth, sports and culture in 2053 BS, water resources minister in 2065, defense minister in 2067 BS and finance minister for the first time in 2072 BS.
Former finance minister Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, who had contested the House of Representatives election 2082 from Sunsari-4 on a Nepali Congress ticket, was elected to the House of Representatives from the same constituency in 2079 and 2074 BS.TAG_OPEN_div_36 He has served as the Minister for Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation, Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs and Minister for Communications and Information Technology.
Former Finance Minister Janardan Sharma has filed his candidacy from Pragatisheel Loktantrik Party’s home district Rukum (West).TAG_OPEN_div_34 He was elected to the Interim Legislature in 2063 BS, to the Constituent Assembly in 2064 and 2070 BS and to the House of Representatives in 2074 and 2079 BS from Rukum West. He became the Minister for Peace and Reconstruction in 2065 BS, Energy Minister in 2073 BS, Home Minister in 2074 BS and Finance Minister in 2078 BS. He presented the budget for the fiscal year 2079/80.
Nepali Congress leader and former Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat has filed his candidacy from Nuwakot-1.TAG_OPEN_div_32 He has served as the general secretary of the Nepal Student Union, member of the National Planning Commission, advisor to the Prime Minister, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Energy. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 2079 BS as a proportional representation member of the Nepali Congress. Dr Mahat presented the budget for the fiscal year 2080/81.
Former Minister of State for Finance Udaya Shumsher Rana has filed his candidacy from Lalitpur-1.TAG_OPEN_div_30 He served as the central president of Nepal Tarun Dal from 2068 BS to 2072 BS. Rana was a member of the Constituent Assembly in 2070 BS and became the Minister of State for Finance in 2074 BS.
} Except for the mentioned former finance ministers who participated in the election, no one could implement the budget they brought on their own. The budget for the fiscal year 2074/75 was presented by the then Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, the annual budget for the fiscal years 2075/76, 2076/77 and 2077/78 was presented by Dr Yubaraj Khatiwada, the fiscal year 2071/72 and 2072/73 by Dr Ram Sharan Mahat and the fiscal years 2069/70 and 2070/71 by Shankar Prasad Koirala.
Similarly, the then Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari had presented the budget for the fiscal year 2068/69, Surendra Pandey for the fiscal year 2067/68 and Dr Baburam Bhattarai for the fiscal year 2065/66.TAG_OPEN_div_26
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