Kathmandu, June 29: The regular proceedings of the House of Representatives stalled today with the opposition MPs remaining adamant on their demand that details about the allocation of the budget set aside in a lump sum under the Local Development Ministry head be presented to Parliament before further discussion in this head.

Immediately after Speaker Taranath Ranabhat announced the start of discussion on the appropriation heads pertaining to the Ministry of Local Development, CPN-UML’s Rajendra Prasad Pandey complained that the various budgetary allocations made in a lump sum under the ministry are not clear.

Stating that an amount of Rs. 700 million has been allocated in a lump sum for 75 districts and Rs.580 million for 58 municipalities, he said it has not been made clear as to what amount of budget has been allocated to which district and municipality.

Then with the permission of the speaker, Minister of State for Local Development Suresh Malla made it clear that out of the Rs. 700 million allocated as district development grant, Rs. 460 million will be spent on paying the increased salaries of the employees and Rs. 240 million will be spent as development grant.

This being the situation in which the administrative cost exceeds the development expenditure, there was a technical problem in clearly appropriating the budget, he said.

However, the amount set aside now for paying the increased salaries will be adjusted after the Finance Ministry releases the budget for paying the increased salaries, which is not included now, he said and assured the parliament that, if need be, details about the budgetary allocations made as per the present appropriation will be presented tomorrow.

Even after the clarification of the Minister of State, the opposition members did not allow the regular proceedings of the House to continue on the grounds that the ruling party undermined the Parliament by not presenting the details about the break down of the budgets set aside in a lump sum under various ministries despite an agreement reached in this regard at the all-party meeting.

Those presenting this argument were CPN-UML MPs Dr Dilliraj Khanal, Prem Bahadur Singh, Prakash Jwala, Dr Mangal Siddhi Manandhar and Subas Chandra Nemwang.

MP Lilamani Pokhrel and RPP’s Govinda Bikram Shaha also demanded the breakdown of the budget allocated for 44 programmes launched under the Local Development Ministry prior to holding discussion on the appropriation heads concerning the ministry.

NC’s Chiranjibi Wagle urged the opposition MPs no to get bogged down in the debate on the breakdown of the budgets set aside in lump sum as breakdown of the budget thus set aside under various heads might reduce the possibility of issuance of additional budget to the districts.

Speaker Ranabhat then asked the opposition MPs not to close the door for possible additional budgetary allocations to the districts and asked MP Subas Chandra Nemwang to present his suggestion.

MP Subas Nemwang then argued that the House proceedings should not be continued until the questions raised at parliament are answered satisfactorily.

The speaker adjourned the meeting at 3:00 p.m. for an hour to make things clear.

The second meeting of the House of Representatives adjourned today after running for five minutes when MPs of the opposition party demanded that House business be not advanced till full details about the breakdown of the lump-sum amount appropriated under the heads of the Ministry of Local Development arrive and when the ruling party demanded time for the full breakdown of the amount.

CPN-UML whip Parshuram Meghi Gurung, taking time from Speaker Taranath Ranabhat soon after the House began some two hours behind schedule at 5:30 p.m. today, urged that the House meeting be adjourned since discussions on appropriation heads concerning different ministries are being held in keeping with the agreement to present the breakdown of the appropriated amount in parliament, the breakdown of the lump-sum amount appropriated for the Ministry of Local Development could not be received.

NC’s whip Tek Bahadur Chokhal demanded time for the total breakdown of the amount allocated for the Ministry.