July 18: One hundred and fifty-four local bodies have not yet submitted the particulars of endorsement of their annual budget even after the start of the new fiscal year.    
According to the 'Budget Update of Local Levels for Fiscal Year 2080/81' prepared by the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, 20.45 per cent of the local levels are found 'without budget' as of 2.30 pm on Monday. The number of local levels that have passed their annual budgets until the announcement made by the ministry was 599.    
The ministry said the highest number of local levels not endorsing their budget until the start of the new fiscal year were from the Madhesh Province. Sixty-three local bodies of Madhes Province have not announced their budget. The lowest number of such local bodies is in Karnali Province. Only four local bodies in Karnali Province have not unveiled their budget.    
Twenty-nine local bodies in Koshi Province, 24 in Bagmati Province, seven in Gandaki Province, 14 in Lumbini Province and 13 in Sudurpaschim Province have not provided information on the passage of their annual budget.    
Assistant spokesperson at the Ministry of Federal Affairs and General Administration, Ashwin Kumar Pokharel said a high number of local bodies is seen not bringing their annual budget. Even the municipalities that have passed their budget have not entered information about it in the ministry's centralized system.    
"Although many local bodies have passed the budget, they have not entered it in the portal," he said. The ministry's assistant spokesperson said a circular has been sent to all the local bodies that have not entered the information about their budget in the ministry's portal.    
The ministry, on Sunday, sent letters to all local bodies and the District Coordination Committee, urging them to update information on the presentation of the annual budget for fiscal year 2023/24 BS and the passage of the budget by their respective municipal or rural municipal assembly. -- RSS