Delayed annual budget 2008/09 to be presented Friday

By Bhola B Rana

Kathmandu, 18 Sept: The delayed annual budget for fiscal year 2008/09 will be presented by Finance Minister Dr Baburam Bhattarai at the CA Friday.
The CA is the parliament.
The budget is normally presented mid-June but wasn’t presented by them Finance Minister Dr Ram Sharan Mahat of the Nepali Congress as political maneuverings were at a peak to install an elected government to replace an administration le by Girija Prasad Koirala.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda returns home later Thursday at the end of a five-day official India visit.
The finance ministry has invited representatives of parties in the CA to draw their support for the budget later Friday.
“We will review the entire security concept and expense without reducing the budget,” PTI said quoting Prachanda in Bangalore.
Government has earmarked Rs 6 billion for the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives in the budget to implement 42 major projects, The Kathmandu Post reports.
The government ha proposed spending more that Rs 430 million on efforts to contain bird flu and carry out surveillance and epidemiological research on the disease.
“We will also establish a high security labaratory in Kathmandu to conduct international level tests on bird flu,” the source told Post. Samples will be sent to Australia for further tests.
Government is setting up a fund of Rs 60 million to compensate farmers in case chickens have to be destroyed to prevent avian influenza from spreading.
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Prachanda revelation stuff for a thriller: Madhukar SJB Rana

Kathmandu, 18 Sept: Madhukar SJB Rana, a finance minister in the royal government, says revelation by Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda spent eigh of 10 years during the people’s war in neighbouring India is stuff for a thriller.
“What is new, however, is the revelation from the Horse’s mouth that our Prime Minister actually spent eight of the 10 years of civil war in India as an ‘underground leader’. This is the stuff for a John Le Caree thriller,” former minister Rana said in a letter published in The Himalayan Times Thursday.
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