Bagmati State budget places emphasis on agriculture, education and health

KATHMANDU: The Bagmati State budget, presented at State Assembly meeting on Wednesday, has placed emphasis on agriculture, education and health.

Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Shalikram Jamakattel presented the estimated budget of the State for the fiscal year 2022-23.

He said the State government has made an arrangement to provide with monthly dearness allowance of Rs 2,000 to civil service employees and contractual staff, to be effective from coming July 17 (Sunday).

The annual budget has proposed increasing employee salaries by 15 percent and providing accidental insurance worth amounting to Rs 1 million to the State employees.

Among other programs included in the budget are up-gradation of all 13 district hospitals, arrangement of competent doctors and expansion of ultra-modern laboratory.

Minister Jamakattel said the budget has also put top priority to the Kathmandu-Hetauda travel and transport service by upgrading and improving the Bhainse-Bhimphedi road section and Bhimphedi-Kulekhani-Dakshinkali road along with drainage systems.

As informed, the budget has been allocated for managing ‘One School, One Nurse’ in each public school and ‘One Ward, One Livestock Clinic’ in the province. Other programs featured in the annual budget are ‘One House, One Tape’, ‘One School, One Nurse’, managing the nomadic Chepang community of Chitwan and Dhading in the preserved area and providing them with different opportunities.

The State government is set to run the under-construction Milk Powder Plant in Hetauda in the coming fiscal year.

The budget has also laid emphasis on promoting adventurous and mountaineering tourism in Langtang, Jugal, Ganesh and Gaurishanker Himal area and water tourism in the rivers, including Tamakoshi, Bhotekoshi, Trishuli and Narayani.