Public spending accounts for five percent in six months

The district-based state offices has made only 5.10 percent of the budget appropriated for development in the six months of the fiscal year 2075/76 BS.

The federal office also has witnessed dismal performance in terms of capital spending.

According to Information Officer at the Fund and Account Control Office Chitwan Sharad Chandra Bhattarai, development budget accounted for Rs 2.16 billion out of Rs 3.02 billion appropriated by state government for public offices in the district.

The capital spending of state-allocated budget has accounted for only 5.10 percent as of 14 January, he shared. The spending of recurrent budget of state government also has disappointing trend.

Only 18.46 percent of recurrent budget has been spent in the last six months. The recurrent budget appropriated in the current fiscal year was Rs 837 million.

Likewise, public spending of the federal government budget is 10.70 percent in the six months. Bhattarai said the federal government had earmarked a budget of Rs 15.83 billion of which capital spending was only Rs 5.67 billion. Likewise, the recurrent spending stood at 48.35 percent.

Bhattarai further shared that the federal revenue generated during the period was Rs 15.45 billion while the state revenue was Rs 332.9 million.

Among the reason for low public spending are bid callf or development projects of federal and state governments and preparation of detailed project report.

There is public grievance for non-performance in earlier months and hasty works in the final quarter of the fiscal year.