Chief of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Rudra Singh Tamang on Tuesday proposed a Rs 3.66 billion budget for the fiscal year 2016/17 with focus on reconstruction, organisational reform, infrastructure development and pollution control.

Given the massive damage caused by the earthquake in historical, cultural and religious monuments of Kathmandu, their reconstruction has been one of the main priorities of the budget with an allocation of Rs70 million. For Hanumandhoka Durbar Square, which is a Unesco World Heritage site, the KMC has decided to mobilise Rs200 million through Hanumandhoka Durbar Area Conservation Programme.

Amid reports of service seekers being dissatisfied with the KMC’s working procedure, Rs 67.5 million has been allocated for installing Municipal Administration and Revenue System in the metropolis. Through the system, service seekers can apply for and receive any service online. 

Tamang also said that Electronic Building Permit System will be applied in all wards of the KMC, moving the metropolis towards paperless e-governance system.

The budget proposed by Tamang was endorsed by the 27th Municipal Council meeting. The budget is in line with the priority projects forwarded by ward offices, the 43-point administrative reform pledged by Tamang last month, and the Godavari Declaration 2016 for integrated Valley development last week, according to KMC Deputy Director Sanat Kumar Thapa.

Likewise, KMC has allocated Rs 100 million for infrastructure development like sewerage construction, road projects and street lighting. Under the “One Ward-One Infrastructure’ project, all 35 wards of the KMC have been allocated Rs 10 million each in addition to Rs 140 million for other urban infrastructure development. Road-widening project, ongoing for the last three years in the Capital, is set to continue with a budget allocation of 

Rs 400 million.

In light of energy crisis crippling the country in general and Kathmandu in particular, the KMC has allocated Rs 100 million for solar energy and Rs 15 million for constructing bio-gas and compost fertiliser plants in Teku. For bringing electric vehicles in the Valley, the KMC is set to spend Rs 50 million next fiscal year.

Commenting on the budget, political representative in KMC’s Municipal Council Bidya Sundar Shakya said that the budget has come at a time when the KMC is without elected representatives, which should not have been the case. 

“But political parties are collaborating with the KMC officials to work for public good in the time being,” he said.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Federal Affairs and Local Development Kamal Thapa said that 18 years have passed since the last local body elections were held while local bodies have been without elected representatives for more than 10 years. He, however, said that the government is preparing to conduct local elections at the earliest and urged the KMC officials to be ready to hand over the responsibilities to the elected representatives.

Former Chief Secretary Lilamani Poudel said the budget has addressed pressing issues in the Capital like increasing pollution, illegal slaughter houses and haphazard building permits, but emphasised on honest implementation on part of employees to achieve success. He also urged political leaders against interfering in KMC’s works.

A Rs 4.07 billion budget was allocated for the KMC in the current fiscal year 2015/16.