Kathmandu sees higher budget due to key urban bodies: DPM Singh
The Deputy PM emphasized that budget distribution has been done within the ministry’s ceiling, ensuring provincial balance based on geographic and demographic considerations.
KATHMANDU: Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Urban Development, Prakash Man Singh, has clarified that the apparent higher allocation of the ministry’s budget in the Kathmandu Valley is due to the concentration of major urban development bodies in the region.
Responding to lawmakers’ queries during discussions on the ministry’s budget, Singh explained that significant institutions under the Urban Development Ministry—such as the Bagmati Civilization Integrated Development Committee, Kathmandu Valley Development Authority, Federal Secretariat Construction and Management Office, and the Special Building Project Coordination Office—are all Kathmandu-centered, leading to a seemingly higher budget for the valley.
“The higher allocation for Kathmandu is a result of major projects and institutions being based here, not due to preference,” Singh told the Parliament.
He further added that the ministry has prioritized infrastructure development in other key urban economic corridors as outlined in the National Urban Development Strategy. These include the Itahari-Damak-Kakarbhitta, Butwal-Bhairahawa, and Bhimdutta-Attariya-Dhangadhi corridors.
The Deputy PM emphasized that budget distribution has been done within the ministry’s ceiling, ensuring provincial balance based on geographic and demographic considerations.
