Himal Press 
KATHMANDU: The National Planning Commission (NPC) has extended the deadline for submitting project and program proposals under the federal supplementary and special grants for the upcoming fiscal year 2025/26.
The apex policy-making body of the government has said that provincial and local governments can submit their proposals by mid-March.
Earlier, the NPC had issued a circular instructing all provincial and local governments to submit their proposals for supplementary and special grants by February 27. Since it received only a few proposals, the NPC decided to extend the deadline.
In previous years, provincial and local governments were required to submit their proposals by mid-January. The deadline was pushed back by about a month and a half this year due to delays in revising the procedures related to supplementary and special grants.
Under the revised provisions for supplementary grants, local and provincial governments will have to bear 20-80% of the project cost based on their classification. Earlier, they were required to contribute 50% of the project cost, with the remaining coming from the federal government. As per the Supplementary Grant Procedures, 2024, rural municipalities and municipalities can apply for supplementary grants for projects costing Rs 10 million to Rs 70 million. Similarly, sub-metropolitan cities and metropolitan cities can apply for projects costing Rs 30 million to Rs 150 million, and provincial governments for projects costing Rs 100 million to Rs 300 million.
As per the Special Grant Procedures, 2024, project cost must be between Rs 2.5 million and Rs 30 million for rural municipalities and municipalities, and Rs 2.5 million to Rs 50 million for sub-metropolises and metropolitan cities. Likewise, the estimated cost of projects to be implemented by provincial governments must be between Rs 50 million and Rs 100 million.
While infrastructure projects to be implemented under the special grant have to be completed within three years, other projects will have to be completed within the fiscal year.
