By Laxman Kafle
Kathmandu, June 25: The local levels of Bhaktapur district have unveiled the budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2021/22 according priority to health, education, culture, tourism and infrastructure.
Out of four municipality of the district, three municipalities --- Suryabinayak Municipality, Changunarayan Municipality and Bhaktapur Municipality --- presented the income and expenditure statement for the coming fiscal year on Thursday.
Suryabinayak Municipality has unveiled a budget of Rs. 1.57 billion for the coming fiscal year 2021/22. Deputy Mayor Juna Basnet presented the budget of Rs. 1.57 billion in the 9th Municipal Assembly today.
Out of the total budget, Rs. 512.2 million has been allocated for recurrent expenditure, Rs. 739.8 million for capital expenditure and Rs. 324.1 million for conditional programmes.
The municipality has given priority to health, education, production, job creation and strategic infrastructure development projects, control corruption and good governance.
Basnet said that the municipality is committed to save the lives of citizens by focusing on prevention, control and treatment of COVID-19 infection.
In order to increase production and productivity through the development of the agricultural sector, necessary budget has been allocated to provide subsidy to the farmers to attract them to collective farming, she said.
The municipality has allocated budget of Rs. 13.7 million for agriculture sector and Rs. 18.8 million for social security.
Similarly, it has also proposed of Rs. 10 million to run ‘mayor electrification programme’ and about of Rs. 115 million for mega projects running inside the municipality.
The municipality has also allocated Rs. 10 million for the construction of hospital in the municipality.
The municipality has adopted a policy of bringing all kinds of economic activities under the revenue administration. It would run a campaign ‘Our taxes, our development’ to bring business under the tax net.
Meanwhile, Changunarayan Municipality has unveiled a budget of Rs. 1.9 billion for the fiscal year 2021/22. Deputy Mayor Bina Bastola presented the budget in the 9th Municipal Assembly.
Of the total budget, Rs. 1.24 billion (65 per cent) has been allocated for capital expenditure and Rs. 664.2 million (35 per cent) for recurrent expenditure.
In order to establish a healthy, educated and dynamic social life by increasing investment in health, education, gender equality and other social and cultural sectors, the municipality will adopt a strategy to improve the quality of education and provide access to practical and technical education.
The municipality has aimed to make the municipality COVID-19 free. Adequate medicines, doctors and health workers will be managed and mobilised for the prevention of the pandemic.
In coordination with the federal government, all the citizens of the municipality will be vaccinated within six months.
The work of providing quality education by enrolling all the children of school-age group in the municipal area will be continued.
The municipality has allocated Rs. 804 million for the development of road and transport sector of the municipality.
Necessary strategy will be taken to make the municipality self-reliant in agricultural production through diversification and specialisation of agricultural production sector by identifying and protecting the cultivable land within the municipality, Bastola said.
Subsidised programme will be announced for vegetable production in vegetable pocket area with slogan “one house, one yard pocket area.
“In order to develop the municipality as a model, integrated urban development of short term, medium term and long term plans will be formulated,” she said.
Similarly, Bhaktapur Municipality has unveiled the budget of Rs. 1.93 billion giving priority for health, tourism, education and infrastructure for the coming fiscal year 2021/22.
Rajani Joshi, deputy mayor of the municipality, has proposed the income and expenditure for the fiscal year 2021/22 in the 10th municipal assembly on Thursday.
The municipality has proposed Rs. 1.10 billion for recurrent expenditure and Rs. 829 million for the recurrent expenditure.
Joshi said that the municipality has arranged adequate budget to vaccinate all citizens of the municipality with the coordination of the federal government.
“We have increased the amount of subsidy to Rs. 15,000 per person suffering from five diseases, including cancer, heart, kidney and spiral injury,” she said.
The municipality has allocated budget of Rs. 315 million for education and culture sector, Rs. 261 million for health, Rs. 50 million for heritage preservation, Rs. 78 million for sanitation and environment, Rs. 47 million for youth and sports and Rs. 29 million for agriculture.
Madhyapur Thimi Municipality has planned to unveil budget for the fiscal year 2021/22 on July 8, 2021. It had presented policy and programmes on June 21.