Butwal proposes to spend Rs 2.99 billion in 2024/25

BUTWAL: The Butwal Sub-Metropolitan City has presented a budget of Rs 2.99 billion for the upcoming fiscal year.

Deputy Mayor Savitradevi Aryal presented the annual budget during the third meeting of the 15th convention of the Municipal Assembly on Sunday. She proposed allocating 48.65% of the budget to recurrent expenditure and 51.35% to capital expenditure.

The sub-metropolis aims to generate Rs 850 million in internal revenue in the fiscal year 2024/25. Deputy Mayor Aryal stated that the budget prioritizes education, health, and employment, while also allocating funds for tourism, agriculture, livestock development, and human resource development.

The sub-metropolis plans to operate hospitals in Wards 13 and 17, where building construction has already been completed. “Necessary budgets have been allocated to open a physiotherapy hospital in Ward 13 and a general hospital in Ward 17,” she added.

Butwal has allocated Rs 50 million to start a 100-bed hospital in Butwal-11 through a public-private partnership program.

Additionally, Rs 10 million has been allocated to implement the Safe Motherhood Program at Siddhartha Children’s and Women’s Hospital, and another Rs 10 million for upgrading hospitals, health posts, and health centers under the sub-metropolis.

The sub-metropolis has announced it will provide free blood and blood products, continue offering free laboratory services for pregnant women under the ‘Deputy Mayor Safe Motherhood Program’, and ensure proper care for senior citizens through the ‘Mayor with Parents’ program.

In the education sector, the sub-metropolis plans to establish a ‘Mayor Educational Improvement Fund’ to provide scholarships, uniforms, and educational materials to children from underprivileged and minority families. Butwal has also allocated Rs 50 million for the physical infrastructure development of educational institutions.

Under the ‘Educate Daughters, Build Society’ program, the sub-metropolis has allocated Rs 2.5 million to provide free technical education to 40 female students in collaboration with Butwal Technical Institute.

Butwal has introduced new programs such as ‘Mayor with Students’, ‘Deputy Mayor with Children’, and ‘One Student, One Bank Account’, and has increased the school meal allowance for students from grades 1 to 5 from Rs 10 to Rs 25 per meal.

The sub-metropolis has earmarked Rs 165 million for the overall development of wards. Additionally, it is providing Rs 10 million each to Wards 14-19 for infrastructure development.