Bagmati Chief Minister Indra Bahadur Baniya Announces Budget to Foster Livelihood Opportunities for the Poor

May 24, Kathmandu – Indra Bahadur Baniya, Chief Minister of Bagmati Province, has announced that the upcoming budget will focus on creating an environment where the poor can sustain their livelihoods. Speaking at the annual session of the Bagmati Provincial Assembly, which commenced on Monday, Chief Minister Baniya emphasized that the republic was established for the benefit of the poor and reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring livelihood opportunities for all.

Chief Minister Baniya highlighted that the budget will not be the sole property of any single political party but will represent a collective policy, program, and budget agreed upon by all political factions. Priority sectors for the coming year include education, health, road infrastructure, and drinking water projects, with the provincial government set to take firm steps to promote good governance.

“The provincial government is committed to advancing through consensus, cooperation, and coexistence alongside the federal and local governments,” he stated. “Similarly, the federal government should coordinate with provincial and local governments for collective progress.”

While expressing dissatisfaction over the reduction of facilities for personal secretaries of provincial assembly members, Chief Minister Baniya noted that facilities for personal secretaries of federal parliamentarians have not been cut. At the meeting, former Chief Minister and Parliamentary Party Leader of the Nepal Communist Party (NCP) in the province, Shalikram Jamkattel, stressed the importance of continuing the provincial pride projects initiated under his leadership. He also expressed frustration over the long-vacant position of the Provincial Assembly Speaker.

During the provincial assembly session, various leaders voiced their perspectives, including Deputy Leader of the Nepali Congress Ram Krishna Chitrakar; UML Parliamentary Party Leader in the province, Jagannath Thapaliya; Bhuvan Kumar Pathak of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party; Parliamentary Party Leader of the Nepal Workers and Peasants Party, Surendra Raj Gosain; and Shailendra Man Bajracharya of the Hamro Nepali Party.