June 28: The ruling Nepali Congress (NC) and the CPN (Maoist Center) have issued a whip to their lawmakers to pass the budget for the next fiscal year.

The NC and Maoists have instructed their MPs to vote in favor of the budget by compulsorily attending the Parliament meeting at 11 am on Wednesday. The Parliament Secretariat has informed that it is preparing to pass the Appropriation Bill for the implementation of the budget on Wednesday.

Preparations for passing the Appropriation Bill have already started amid voices from within the ruling coalition that the budget should be passed only by amending it. Maoist Centre’s chief whip Hitraj Pandey has instructed the MPs to attend the Parliament meeting compulsorily and not remain neutral while passing the budget.

The notice issued by Pandey reads, 'This instruction is issued in accordance with the provisions of our party's statute and the instructions of the leader of the parliamentary party and the honorable prime minister the party’s lawmakers to attend the meeting of the House of Representatives on June 28 and to vote in favor of the Appropriation Bill (Annual Budget) presented by the Government of Nepal.”

Finance Minister Dr Prakash Sharan Mahat had presented the budget for the next fiscal year on May 29.

Chief Whip of the Nepali Congress, Ramesh Lekhak, also issued an appeal to the MPs to pass the budget. His instructions mentions: "As the appropriation bill will be presented for decision at the meeting of the House of Representatives on June 28 at 11 am, this whip is issued to attend the meeting on that day, to vote in favor of the appropriation bill and not to remain neutral."

Other coalition partners CPN (United Socialist) and Janata Samajwadi Party (JSP) are demanding that the budget should be revised. Some MPs from the Maoist Centre are also in favour of passing the budget only after amendment.

In the parliamentary practice, there is a tradition to pass the budget presented by the government without amendment.

Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister Narayankaji Shrestha also answered the questions raised by the parliamentarians on Sunday and said that they should get rid of the traditional practice and amend the budget.

Parliament spokesperson Ekram Giri said that the government is going to pass the appropriation bill on Wednesday and send it to the National Assembly.

The main opposition parties CPN (UML), Rastriya Swatantra Party, Rastriya Prajatantra Party and Janamat Party have been opposing the budget in the Parliament.