Line Ministers Defend Budgetary Allocation

– Sabika Shrestha

The House of Representatives witnessed extensive discussions on the budget for the fiscal year 2026/27 on Thursday, with most of the ministers trying to wrap of the lawmakers concerns.

Absence of Prime Minister Balendra Shah once again provoked the opposition parties, especially Shram Sanskriti Party. 

As the house rushed in putting the appropriation bill for vote, most of the minister appeared to defend the budget allocation as well as addressing the lawmakers’ queries.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Shisir Khanal defending the budget allocation said that his ministry has plans to take Economic Diplomacy to next level by the new fiscal year.

Informing the house that country specific economic diplomacy programs are being finalized, the foreign minister said this matter is not just the continuity of the past.

Minister for Physical Infrastructure Development Sunil Lamsal said the infrastructure budget had been structured for multi-year implementation, explaining that tenders worth nearly one trillion would be issued this year and completed over the next three years.

Minister for Education and Sports Sasmit Pokharel said the government remained committed to increasing investment in education and sports.

The Education Minister also informed Parliament that preparations have begun to revise the National School Curriculum Framework through a dedicated task force.

Also, discussions were focused on transparency concerns of the newly formed Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation.

Minister Mahabir Pun explained that the ministry’s legal and institutional framework was still under development, making detailed program allocation difficult at this stage.

Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Sobita Gautam used the budget discussion to update lawmakers on transitional justice efforts.

Minister Gautam said the government has begun the process of forming a recommendation committee for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the Commission of Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons.

Minister for Home Affairs Sudhan Gurung informed that the Ministry has given high priority in disaster preparedness in the wake of approaching monsoon.

Minister for Energy Water Resources and Irrigation Biraj Bhakta Shrestha spoke about the difficulty in allocating adequate budget to new projects with the ongoing liabilities demanding larger share.

During final hours of deliberations on the appropriation bill, most of the lawmakers questioned the absence of budget allocation to specific projects relating to their constituencies and concerns.