Kathmandu June 12;

Minister for Economic Affairs and Plan of Bagmati State Kailash Prasad Dhungel today said budget for the fiscal year 2020/21 would focus on reducing multi-faceted effects caused by COVID-19 pandemic. Talking to Rastriya Samachar Samiti on budget for the upcoming FY 2020/21 to be presented by the State government on June 15, he said, “The budget will accord high priority to the management of high level technology-equipped corona hospitals and isolation wards in all 13 districts of the State and the placement of doctors.” The budget will focus on managing quality health infrastructure to deal with the crisis, encouraging private sector, leveraging economic uplift, creating job opportunity, promoting agricultural diversification, expanding industries and livestock raising and social security, he said. The budget laid emphasis on projects of national pride, development and drinking water projects, electrification and health centers as demanded by SA members from all 13 districts and local levels, he briefed the Session, adding the government had already allocated budget to complete the Posta Bahadur Bogati tunnel way under the Hetauda-Kathmandu Madan Bhandari Highway and Bhimphedi-Kulekhani tunnel way by the next four years. According to the minister, the budget is focused on operating a link road from Hetauda to every district headquarters in 13 districts by the coming fiscal year and on building new structure for the promotion of tourism industry. He promised budgetary discipline, optimum utilisation of public resources and result-based expenditures.