Govt to provide Rs 14 bln to various bodies apart from NA to hold local polls

KATHMANDU: The Government has decided to provide Rs 14 billion to various bodies to hold the local level elections.

The Ministry of Finance has decided to provide the budget to the Election Commission, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force and National Investigation Department but not to the Nepal Army.

“The decision has not been made yet how much of the budget should be allocated to the Nepal Army for the local level elections. The Nepal Army has sent the proposal. Discussions are underway over the same,” Finance Ministry spokesperson Dhundi Prasad Niraula said.

The government has decided to hold the local polls to the 753 local levels on May 13.

Following the announcement, the concerned authorities had urged the Finance Ministry to manage the necessary budget.

The government has already decided to provide Rs 8.11 billion to the Election Commission for the local level elections.

The Ministry has decided to provide Rs 6.29 billion to Nepal Army and Armed Police Office.

Similarly, the Ministry has decided to provide Rs 35 million to the National Investigation Department.

In 2017, the local level polls were held in three phases – May 14, June 28 and September 18 – for 6 metropolitan cities, 11 sub-metropolitan cities, 276 municipalities and 460 rural municipalities. The Election Commission had asked 7.28 billion to hold the polls.