ITAHARI: Dharan Sub-metropolitan City has yet to table its fiscal budget even though it has already been one and a half months since the new fiscal year began.
Dharan is in a ‘budget holiday’ situation because of the stance taken by Mayor Harka Raj Rai (Harka Sampang) and his disagreements with political parties.
A meeting of the municipal executive convened on Wednesday with 16 agenda items, including endorsement of policies and programs and tabling of the budget, ended inconclusively. The next meeting has been scheduled for Friday.
The executive had earlier set 26 agenda items, such as approving the annual policy and programs, passing the budget ceiling, endorsing allocations for essential services, upgrading staff levels, approving plans and even the municipal anthem.
Under the Local Government Operations Act, local governments are required to present their budgets by June 24 and pass them by the end of the fiscal year in mid-July. However, the sub-metropolis failed to bring the budget by that time. This has affected the local government’s day-to-day administrative work.
The Revenue Advisory Committee, led by Deputy Mayor Aindra Bikram Begah, had proposed a budget of around Rs 1.6 billion. However, the Resource Estimation and Budget Ceiling Committee later decided to increase the figure to Rs 2.20 billion.
According to Begah, the decision was made at a meeting held on August 14. The meeting on Wednesday was called to discuss this proposal.
UML against deficit spending
A rift has now emerged among major political parties that previously stood united against Mayor Sampang, who was selected as an independent candidate. The CPN-UML, which holds a majority in both the executive and the municipal assembly, has opposed the deficit budget.
UML leaders argued the budget should be limited to the Rs 1.6 billion proposed by the Revenue Advisory Committee. It has opposed the creation of separate “vision funds” for the mayor and deputy mayor and is also opposing tax hikes.
Speaking at the meeting, UML ward chairs Bibek Rai, Jiban Subedi, Netra Kafle and Purna Limbu, along with executive members Sabitra Pariyar and Bikash Bhatt, stood firmly against the revised proposal.
Samang gets NC, Maoist Center backing
The Nepali Congress (NC) and the Maoist Center, both of which had long opposed Mayor Sampang, have now backed his position on the budget.
They are willing to endorse the Rs 2.207 billion budget prepared by the Resource Estimation and Ceiling Committee, which includes allocations for the ‘visions’ of the mayor and deputy mayor.
However, it is not possible to pass the budget without the UML’s support.
Proposed allocations
The draft budget includes Rs 30.5 million for the Mayor’s Vision, Rs 15 million for the Mayor’s Fund, Rs 20 million for the Deputy Mayor’s Vision, and Rs 7.5 million for the Deputy Mayor’s Fund.
Last year, the submetropolis had allocated Rs 50 million for the Mayor’s Vision.
This year, along with ward-specific allocations, the proposal also allocates Rs 100 million for ward-level plans under ward chairs’ discretion and Rs 4.5 million for vision funds of municipal executive members.
