The Lumbini Province Government has allocated its budget for the fiscal year 2021/22 with ensuring high priority to education, health, and agriculture sectors.
Minister for Economic Affairs and Planning Baijnath Chaudhary has said that NRs. 250 million has been allocated for the free treatment of the patient and advancement of the Lumbini Provincial Hospital with the specialized services.
Minister Chaudhary said that an oxygen plant will be set up in the district hospitals, free treatment of COVID-19 patients will be provided and 50% allowance will be provided to the health workers mobilized for COVID-19 treatment.
Similarly, the provincial government has allocated NRs. 445.8 million for improving the education and physical infrastructure as well as for improving the results of mathematics and science in the community schools. In addition, NRs. 20 million has been allocated for safe and healthy drinking water for students.
The province government has allocated NRs. 330 million for the provision of agricultural technicians in each ward through the program called “Access of Farmers in Agriculture Technician Service” program. Similarly, NRs. 350 million has been allocated for the smart agriculture village program continuation to the local government.
The budget has been allocated for the continuation of the contract farming program to extend the contract farming from 20 hectares to 1,200 hectares and it has also provisioned grant in the interest for agriculture loan and development of the cooperative sector. Emphasis has also been laid on giving mini-labs for soil testing in each district and felicitation programs to farmers to make the agricultural profession more prestigious.
Out of the total budget, NRs 24.93 billion has been allocated for current expenditure and NRs 21.17 billion has been for capital expenditure, said Minister Chaudhary.