The Bagmati Province Government has unveiled a budget of over Rs 57.72 billion for the fiscal year 2021/22. Presenting the budget for the upcoming fiscal year at the province assembly on Tuesday, Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Kailash Prasad Dhungel said over Rs 26 billion and 16.6 million has been appropriated as recurrent capital and over Rs 29.7 billion as capitalized budget.

Most of the chunks of the budget have been earmarked for the prevention and control of the coronavirus infection. Minster Dhungel said that the budget has laid emphasis on treatment to all COVID-19 infected patients in all district hospitals of the province, disease control, hospitals up-gradation and oxygen plant set up as well as the management of ventilators, HDU and ICU wards.

Noting that budget has been allocated for managing ‘one school, one nurse’ in all 366 community schools of the province and also for the programme incentivizing farmers towards enhancing agro productivity, he said the annual budget has put focus on developing physical infrastructure through project bank in all districts and establishment of the technical university in the province.

Among others priorities of the budget are operation of electric buses from Hetauda to different areas including Kathmandu Valley and construction of Bhimfedi-Kulekhani tunnel highway in coming four years in coordination and collaboration with the federal government.