EMBARRASSNG GOVT. OFFICIAL ANNOUNCES BUDGET DATE PRESENTION AT NORMAL DATE

FINANCE MINISTRY OFFICIAL NOT MINISTER ANNOUNCES NEW DATE FOR BUDGET PRSENTATION REVEALINGGOVT, SHORTCOMINGS

By Bhola B. Rana

Kathmandu, 20 May: Without announcement from the political level, a top finance ministry official over television announced Friday evening the annual budget for fiscal year 2011/12 will be announced between 5 to 7 July for which consultations are going ahead with the National Planning Commission (NPC).
The budget has to be approved by parliament before the beginning of the new fiscal as normal 15 July.
The NPC approves capital projects to be financed by government in the new fiscal year year,
The move of announcing a budget session though a government must come as a political embarrassment to the government which is attempting to avoid it.
The communist majority government first couldn’t present a budget for the remaining three months of the current fiscal year as announced immediately after assuming office 3 February.
Then it said it would present an annual budget for the next fiscal year nearly one month ahead of the normal budget session of parliament.
This didn’t happen either.
The planned and officially announced address of President Dr Ram Baran Yadav to deliver the shaky government’s policies and programmes didn’t take place as well.
Government is clearly trying to hide its failure to implement announced goals by announcing the dates for the presentation of the next budget through a finance ministry official
Once bitten, twice shy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Bharat Mohan Adhikari was accused by Finance Secretary Rameshwor Khanal of attempting to announce a budget for the next fiscal year without institutional discussions and resigned.
Ahikari is a relative of Khanal.
The annual budget of the fiscal year 2011/12 will be presented between 5 to 7 July, the top official of the finance ministry said.
Budget preparations have almost been completed, he revealed.
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NO SCHEDULED MEETING OF MAOIST STANDING COMMITTEE UPDATE
Kathmandu, 20 May: A scheduled meeting of the Maoist standing committee wasn’t held Friday at four in the afternoon.
No reason was furnished.
Senior Maoist Vice-chairman Mohan Baidya penned a note of dissent on the party’s committee’s decision Thursday to form an integrated mixed force of former Maoists and three state security agencies Thursday calling a Nepal Army suggestion ‘positive’.
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AREA AROUND BIRENDRA INTRNATIONAL CONVENTION CENTER DECLARED PROHIBITED AREA

Kathmandu, 20 May: Areas around the Birendra International Convention Center at Naya Baneshwor, site of meetings of parliament and constituent assembly, have been declared prohibited areas by Kathmandu district administration.
The move comes amid daily sit-ins in front of the Chinese=built complex against failure to promulgate a constitution again within the 28 May deadline,
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