The Lumbini Province Government’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year 2026/27 has prioritized safe motherhood, reduction of child marriage, and expansion of specialist health services in remote areas.
Presenting the budget in the Provincial Assembly on June 15, Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Dhanendra Karki stated that the situation of safe motherhood in the province is still not satisfactory, and citizens in remote areas remain deprived of specialist health services. He informed that the budget has been allocated targeting these sectors.
Under the Safe Motherhood Campaign, Rs. 53 million has been allocated for free laboratory tests for pregnant women in local levels with high maternal mortality rates. As child marriage increases the risk of maternal and infant mortality, each local level will receive a conditional grant of Rs. 1 million to conduct province-wide campaigns in coordination with local governments for the reduction of child marriage.
Similarly, Rs. 35 million has been allocated to expand specialist health services in remote areas, the minister said.
Along with health and education, the provincial government has also prioritized agriculture and social empowerment. Rs. 27.8 million has been allocated to provide livestock treatment and technical advisory services directly to the farms and sheds of 20,000 farmers. A total of 65 million has been allocated for fruit production and area expansion, and a budget has been set aside to conduct soil testing programs for 4,000 farmers to ensure food security.
For the improvement of the living standards of marginalized, poor, former Kamaiya, former Kamlari, and landless communities, Rs. 12.2 million has been allocated to implement income-generation and self-employment programs for 1,000 households. Rs. 14 million has been allocated for vaccination services to control diseases in livestock, and Rs. 60 million has been set aside for vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease in 1.3 million livestock across the province. A subsidy of Rs. 1,000 per kattha has been provided for the conservation of indigenous crops.
In the education sector, Rs. 11.5 million has been allocated to provide an additional Rs. 5 per student for the midday meal program for students studying up to grade 5 in one selected local level in each of the 12 districts with high poverty rates. Around 12,000 children are expected to benefit from this initiative.
For disability prevention and rehabilitation, Rs. 10 million has been allocated by the provincial government in addition to the federal government’s partnership for community-based rehabilitation programs. Similarly, with the goal of declaring a “Street-Dependent Human-Free Province,” necessary budget provisions have been made. Rs. 72.5 million has been allocated for programs related to gender development, social empowerment, child rights, and social justice.
To expand equitable access to education, Rs. 70 million has been allocated for strengthening basic information technology infrastructure and enhancing ICT capacity in 100 community secondary schools across 40 local levels with high poverty rates and weak technological infrastructure. Rs. 76 million has been allocated for scholarships for students from targeted groups at higher education, technical education, and school levels.
The budget also includes provisions for providing up to Rs. 200,000 per person in subsidies for heart valve replacement, kidney transplant, and cancer treatment, as well as free blood transfusion services.
For the immediate management of disaster-related incidents, Rs. 354.7 million has been allocated for emergency works such as river control, embankment construction, and mitigation and management of water-induced disasters.
Additionally, the Minister informed that budgetary arrangements have also been made for free treatment of individuals injured or disabled during the armed conflict, the Madhesh movement, and other movements that affected the public life.