Kathmandu Metropolitan City’s budget touches Rs 13.02 billion as most of the 753 local governments have presented their budgets for the fiscal year 2018-19. The federal government has allocated Rs308.48 billion to local levels as conditional and fiscal equalisation grant. A further Rs20 billion is for complementary and special grants to provincial and local governments.

Provincial and local governments drew their respective budgets by incorporating funds allocated by the central government.

Kathmandu Metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Hariprabha Khadgi on Sunday presented the budget of Rs 13.02 billion to the municipal assembly. It has allocated of Rs3.06 billion for infrastructure development in wards.

Among the key allocations in the budget are for feasibility study and Detailed Project Report of monorail, electric bus, Sky Bridge, and e-toilet.

Bharatpur Metropolitan City (BMC) Mayor Renu Dahal presented a budget of Rs3.34 billion along with 81-point programmes. BMC has allocated Rs1.62 billion for capital expenditure while Rs1.7 billion for recurrent expenditure.

The BMC aims to earn Rs556 million revenue. The metropolis declared Metropolis Ring Road and link Road as ‘Metropolitan City Pride Project’ whose foundation would be laid within a month.

Construction of international standard cricket stadium; sky bridges in three key areas of the metropolis and entertainment park at Narayani River bank like sea bank are among the plans announced by Mayor Dahal.

Birgunj Metropolitian City Deputy Mayor Shanti Karki presented a budget of Rs4.94 billion. From the total amount, Rs2.61 billion is marked for projects supported by the Asian Development Bank.

The Metropolis estimates Rs595 million internal revenue earnings.  This figure looks ambitious considering the estimate of Rs140 million for the current fiscal year. The budget has made provision for the programme  ‘Prosperity of Birgunj with its own effort’. Birgunj seeks to raise tax through the initiative -Local Tax for Local Development.

A majority of municipal assembly members boycotted the second assembly held on Sunday.  Around 110 municipal assembly members staged a sit-in protest outside the assembly hall. The protestors mainly comprised ward members. Their reason for staging protest was ‘not consulting them while selecting projects for development’.

Pokhara Lekhnath Metropolitan City Mayor Man Bahadur GC presented a budget of Rs6.53 billion.  The Mayor said Rs4.33 billion would be raised from external source while Rs1.69 billion would be spent from funds generated internally.

Pokhara has prioritized projects such as Phewa and Begnas Lake Preservation, Phewa Lake Drainage Division, Feasibility study of Phewa-Begnas Monorail, laying underground power cables, constructing tourist bus park, modern agriculture pocket areas in seven locations, constructing metro building , 30 connecting roads and Phirke corridor ring road.

Biratnagar Metropolitan City Deputy Mayor Indira Karki presented a budget of Rs4.47 billion.  The budget allocates Rs336.8 million for recurrent expenditure, Rs3.25 billion for physical infrastructure, Rs200 million for social security allowance.

Lalitpur Metropolitan City has not presented the budget to the municipal assembly. According to Metropolis Executive Officer Hari Prasad Dahal, the metro has proposed a budget of Rs4.7 billion that is forwarded to the municipal executive.