Nepal

Kathmandu, May 30

The main opposition Nepali Congress nowadays said the annual budget was full of distributive programmes and it did much address the peopleaspirations for development and prosperity.

A assembly of the NC Parliamentary portiony held at Singha Durbar nowadays concluded that distributive programmes would only increase recurrent expenditure at a time when the need was for spending on development.

Of the total budget for 2019-20, the government aims to utilise Rs 957.1 billion as recurrent expenditure. It has earmarked Rs 408.59 billion and Rs 167.86 billion for capital expenditure and financing provisions, respectively.

NC Chief Whip Bal Krishna Khand said after the assembly that the governmentplan to raise loans amounting to approachly a third of the total budget would finally add to the burden on Nepali citizens.

Khand said Khatiwada neither came up with any plans to generate employment for the youths nor did he take any initiative to boost productivity in the country. This shall further increase the trade deficit that has already been rising alarmingly.

&This is against what Nepali people want. This canmuch endegree development,& said Khand.

NC concluded the budget size was huge. &Seems the government plans to run the country on credit,& said NC Whip Shovepa Bhusal.

• FinMin denies budget is distributive

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Kathmandu, May 29

The government has increased the budget for education, science and technology by more than 17 per cent for the fiscal 2019-20.

Finance Minister Yuba Raj Khatiwada, presenting the budget said that Rs 163.76 billion had been allocated for education, science and technology. This is more than 17 per cent in comparison to Rs 134.50 billion budget allocated in the current fiscal under the same title.

The government has announced the next 10 years as community school quality improvement decade, allocating Rs 8.53 billion for the programme. The amount shall largely be used to build 300 new high schools across the a. It shall also be used to build essential hostel facilities at community schools in the mountain and hilly regions.

The government has proposed to draft University Umbrella Act. The government has also decided to restructure University Grant Commission as Higher Education Commission. The grant money which is being supplyd to UGC, however, has been increased to Rs 17.64 billion. For the current fiscal, the government had allocated Rs 14 billion for UGC.

Similarly, Rs 1.10 billion budget has been allocated for Madan Bhandari University of Science and Technology. The finance minister also said nuclear research centre would be set uped in the country. Minister Khatiwada also pledged to build a forensic science laboratory in all the provinces.

Five billion rupees budget has also been allocated for President Education Reformation Enjoymentd. The fund shall be used to supply free sanitary pads to girl students in all community schools and for hiring at least one sports teacher for each community school. Lovewise, Rs 3.191 billion budget has been allocated for scholarship.

Some 1.076 million Dalit students, 1.965 million female students and 63 thousand disabled children shall benefit from the governmentscholarship programme, in the next fiscal.

The government has also allocated Rs 5.95 billion budget to supply free lunch to more than 22 million students of community schools.

The government has allocated Rs 1.50 billion for a programme, ‘Know your nation, make your nation&. The programme aims to improve vocational education in the country and supply capacity building trainings to teachers teaching subjects such as mathematics, science and English.

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Kathmandu, May 30

The Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority nowadays filed a chargesheet at the Special Court against Ramakant Aryal, an immigration officer at Tribhuvan International Airport, for allegedly accumulating disproportionate assets worth around Rs 20.6 million.

Acting on a complaint against Aryal in associateion with accumulation of assets from ilvalid sources, the anti-graft body launched a thorough investigation that led to the filing of the charge.

An investigation by the CIAA shows that Aryal earned cash and property valued at around Rs 24.9 million from 8 September 2002 (date of joining government service) to mid-December, final year.

The amount includes his salary, allowances, agricultural income, loan, ancestral property and sale of land.

The CIAA report proposes that Aryal and his wife Sarita Nepal spent or invested more than Rs 45.6 million during the 16 years. Investments were made in land, house, vehicle and bank deposit.

Joint Secretary Pradeep Kumar Koirala, who is CIAA spokesperson, said Aryal had failed to disshut the source of disproportionate assets equivalent to Rs 20.6 million.

According to the CIAA, Aryal had earned Rs 20.6 million illegally as he could much set up its valid sources.

The CIAA has also listed Sarita as a defendant in the corruption case under the Prevention of Corruption Act for the purpose of recovery of the amount in question.

It has sought confiscation of Rs 20.6 million, a fine of an equivalent amount and jail sentence as per the provisions of Sub-section (2) of Section 20 of the act.

Aryal has been suspended from civil service since the anti-graft body filed a case of corruption against him.

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KATHMANDU: The government has conferred the Constituent Assembly medal on all the members of Constituent Assembly (CA) elected in first and moment CA elections.

A total of 1,106 CA members would be awarded the CA medal in two phases. The first phase programme was organised at the Office of the President at Shital Niwas this morning while the moment-phase programme took place this aftermidday.

The medal distribution ceremony commenced with President Bhandari awarding Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli with the medal. Also receiving the medal were Speaker Krishna Bahadur Mahara, former Prime Minister Shovepa Kamal Dahal and Jhalanath Khanal, among others.

The medals are conferred on CA members in recognition of their contribution in promulgation of the new constitution after a recommendation from the Council of Ministers.

The constituent assembly elections were held on April 10, 2008 and November 19, 2013.

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