Madhesh govt accused of issuing two versions of budget ‘red book’

KATHMANDU: The Madhesh Province Government has come under fire after two different versions of the expenditure estimates, commonly referred to as the ‘red book’, of the fiscal year 2025/26, surfaced in the Madhesh Provincial Assembly.

The issue came to light when former Chief Minister and leader of the main opposition Janata Samajbadi Party (JSP) Nepal, Saroj Kumar Yadav, presented both versions during the provincial assembly meeting on Monday.

According to Yadav, the version of the red book distributed to lawmakers contains only 461 pages, missing 294 pages from what should be a full 755-page document. Stating that nearly 8,000 budgetary projects are listed in the missing pages, Yadav accused the government of deliberately hiding them.

Province assembly members received their copies of the budget document 10 days after it was tabled in the assembly.

On Monday, however, Yadav presented a separate, more comprehensive 755-page version to demonstrate the discrepancy. Calling it an “economic crime,” he threatened to block the assembly proceedings until the finance minister resigns.

Upendra Mahato, a lawmaker from the ruling coalition partner Loktantrik Samajwadi Party (LSP) Nepal, warned of obstructing parliament if the comprehensive 755-page red book is not provided. “Since budget allocations were influenced by middlemen, it appears that the red book may have been concealed after the formation of a task force to investigate the issue,” he added.

The budget, presented by Minister for Economic Affairs Sunil Yadav, is already under scrutiny for alleged manipulation by intermediaries. A 14-member parliamentary committee has been formed to probe the irregularities.

Deputy Speaker Babita Devi Raut is leading the task force.

Budget Approved

Meanwhile, the Madhesh Province Assembly approved the budget for the fiscal year 2025/26.

After opposition lawmakers walked out of the provincial assembly meeting to protest what they called a serious breach of the legislative process, Speaker Ram Chandra Mandal announced that the budget had been approved by a voice vote.

The provincial government has introduced a budget of Rs 46.58 billion for 2025/26.