By A Staff Reporter
Kathmandu, June 20: Owing to increasing COVID-19 cases in Nepal, the government has cleared a legal hurdle paving the way to transfer the unspent budget allocated for the Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme to the Coronavirus Infection Prevention, Control and Treatment Fund of the federal government.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers held on June 16 made the third amendment to the Local Infrastructure Development Partnership Programme (Operation Guideline) Regulation- 2076, paving the way to transfer the unspent budget allocated to the elected lawmakers of concerned constituencies for infrastructure development to the fund created to battle COVID-19.
According to Minister for Finance and Communication and Information Technology Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, the budget allocated in the fiscal year of 2019/20 which has remained unspent will be transferred to the COVID-19 Prevention and Control Fund by June 29.
The elected lawmakers of the respective constituencies can transfer the remaining budget to the Fund upon the decision of the coordinator (elected lawmaker of the constituency) of the directive committee of the Programme, Minister Dr. Khatiwada said while making the cabinet decisions public on Friday at Singha Durbar.
Such fund will help arrange resources for the Federal government to fight against the coronavirus pandemic, he said.
Some leaders and lawmakers from the main opposition political party, the Nepali Congress, during the deliberation at the House of Representatives had voiced for transferring the fund and not to allocate any budget for fiscal year 2020/21.
The Cabinet meeting also made several appointments. It appointed Khagendra Prasad Adhikari of Jhapa vice-chairman of the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT), Sanothimi, Bhaktapur.
Likewise, the government appointed Dr. Rajan Khanal of Namobuddha Municipality-7 of Kavre district to the post of executive director of Nepal Administrative Staff College. It appointed Fupu Chhembe Sherpa of Fungling Municipality of Taplejung district chairman of Buddhist Philosophy Promotion and
Monastery Development Committee and Hom Bahadur Dong of Nuwakot executive director of the Committee.
Similarly, the Cabinet meeting decided to accept the loan assistance of Rs. 12 billion to be provided by the International Development Association (IDA) of the World Bank for energy promotion project of the country and Rs. 2.2 billion loan assistance to be provided by Swiss Bank Corporation for implementing small irrigation projects in Nepal.
The government has also decided to lift the restriction imposed on the import of black peppers to some of the factories and industries which use the product as raw materials for producing goods. The government after imposing the nationwide lockdown on March 24 had restricted its import. Import permit will be given to only such companies, Minister Dr. Khatiwada said.
Likewise, the government decided to provide up to 50 per cent land compensation to the people who had been using the land registered in the name of Shree Panchko Baayu Guthi located in Nagdhunga for moving the construction of the tunnel project of Kalanki-Thankot-Nagdhunga ahead.
The Cabinet meeting also decided to hand over the registration of the land of the Supreme Court of Nepal to the Department of Archeology and the land of the Cavalry Battalion equal to the area occupied by the Department would be given to the Supreme Court.
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