JANAKPURDHAM, July 14: The Madhesh Provincial Assembly faced disruption on Monday as lawmakers from six opposition parties staged a boycott, accusing the government of bypassing due parliamentary procedures while presenting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
According to the Provincial Assembly Secretariat, opposition lawmakers walked out of the assembly, protesting what they termed a serious breach of legislative process. Despite their absence, Speaker Ramchandra Mandal continued the proceedings.
The controversy revolves around a discrepancy between the printed budget booklet and the version uploaded to the Provincial Line Ministry Budget System (PLIMS). While the official "Red Book" distributed to lawmakers contains 461 pages, the version logged into PLIMS reportedly has 755 pages, with approximately Rs 8 billion worth of plans included in the additional 294 pages.
Opposition leaders claim that these extra allocations were not disclosed during the budget presentation, alleging this as an act of financial misconduct. According to opposition lawmakers and records from the assembly, the discrepancy was not formally clarified by the Ministry of Economic Affairs.
Koshi province assembly approves budget for FY 2024/25
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The parliamentary party leader of Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) Nepal, Saroj Kumar Yadav, accused Finance Minister Sunil Kumar Yadav of committing an economic offense by including undisclosed projects. He demanded the minister's immediate resignation, stating that opposition parties would not return to the assembly until accountability is ensured.
Lawmakers from JSP Nepal, CPN (Unified Socialist), CPN (Maoist Centre), Nepal Federal Socialist Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party (RPP), and Nagarik Unmukti Party joined the walkout.
During the session, Upendra Mahato of the Loktantrik Samajwadi Party, who remained in the chamber, criticized the ruling parties for undermining democratic practices by attempting to pass the budget without consensus. Mahato, who was speaking in the Assembly after nearly seven years, expressed concern over the procedural integrity of the House, stating that it was setting a negative precedent.
He further criticized the government's intent, suggesting it could have simply suspended legislative rules to pass the budget on the final day if it wished to bypass deliberation altogether.
Despite the disruption, the day's agenda included tabling of the Appropriation Bill by Finance Minister Yadav, discussion on the Finance Bill, responses to queries raised during deliberation, and voting on both bills. The situation remains tense as the opposition vows continued resistance unless their demands are addressed.
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