Lawmakers want more budget in health, education, stress on food self-sufficiency

KATHMANDU: MAY. 20 – Lawmakers have pressed for ensuring programmes are easily reachable to the people and capable of enriching their access to basic needs in the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

Taking part in the deliberations of principles and priorities of the Appropriation Bill for 2079 BS (2022-23) today, they were of view of taking the existing economic crisis into consideration while bringing budget programmes.

Dev Prasad Timilsina demanded people’s easy access to medical care for chronic and complicated health issues.

Yagyaraj Sunuwar said that his party: CPN (UML) was enough aware of the economic condition of the nation and serious about it and that’s why it had decided to end its obstruction in the House.

Chhakka Bahadur Lama advised to accord priorities to the agriculture, rural development and backward areas in the budget and to strengthen the sector of social justice.

Meena Subba was of the view that the country could become self-sufficient on food provided that farmers were ensured seeds, fertilizers and other facilities at right time.

She echoed the need of increasing the budget in the sectors of health and education, urging the Finance Minister to address the suggestions of lawmakers in regard to the budget.

Khem Prasad welcomed the principles and priorities and urged the government to focus on the implementation aspect.

He advised advancing toward sustainable and self-sufficient farming and increasing the budget for education and health sectors.

Rangamati Shahi spoke the need of increasing investment in the productive sector and claimed that genuine farmers were deprived of the government subsidy. “So the budget should address this issue and lay its focus on job creation by the implementation of programmes of entrepreneurship.”

Economy is not in crisis as has been touted

Nepali Congress’ Bharat Kumar Shah said the economy is not in bad shape and in crisis as has been hyped. He drew the attention of the government to take steps taking into account the sensitivity of the situation.

“We are in the danger zone due to the high imports, but we are not in trouble as yet,” he remarked.

Jayapuri Gharti of the CPN (Maoist Center) stressed on the need of prioritizing industries, tourism, agriculture, health and education sectors in the budget appropriations.

Sheikh Chandtara of the same party said the economy is facing a crisis due to the wrong policy adopted by the past government and it was wrong to squarely blame the present Finance Minister for this.

CPN (UML)’s Krishna Prasad Dahal said that the priorities and principles of the budget should be implementable, and more budget should be allocated to the local levels.

Ram Bahadur Bista and Prem Prasad Tulachan stressed the need to further prioritise the priorities and principles of the Appropriation Bill.