Kathmandu, July 1
The Supreme Court Sunday drew the attention of the government to introduce one-third budget of the new fiscal year as per the Article 96 (A,2) of the Interim Constitution, according to which the government has the right to present budget without exceeding one-third of the total expenditure.
A division bench comprising justices Damodar Prasad Sharma and Ram Kumar Prasad Sah, however, rejected the petitioner’s call to issue an interim order on the issue
The petitioner advocate Raju Silwal had filed a writ petition demanding an interim order in the name of the government as it is going to introduce full-fledged budget without seeking consensus among the political parties in the absence of the Legislature Parliament.
The petitioner had claimed that the government with a caretaker status, had no right to introduce full-fledged budget without forging consensus as per the Article 43 of the Interim Constitution.
The SC conducted a hearing on whether or not it was necessary to issue a stay order on the writ petition.
Lawyers from both sides- the government and the petitioner- had pleaded before the bench in today’s hearing.
Meanwhile, leaders of key political parties have said that a caretaker government cannot introduce a full budget.
Speaking at an interaction organized by Reporters Club here on Sunday, Nepali Congress leader and former Finance Minister Dr Ram Saran Mahat said that there is no possibility of the presentation of the new budget until a consensus government is in place.
CPN-UML vice president Bidhya Bhandari said that a consensus government is pre-condition for presentation of budget. If NC fails to name its candidate for prime minister, the UML will nominate KP Oli for the same, she said.
Secretary of the CPN-Maoist Dev Gurung said that the present government has no right to conduct a CA election and present a budget.
UCPN-Maoist leader and Minister for Peace and Reconstruction Top Bahadur Rayamajhi said that political leaders had created roadblock by opposing both extension of the CA and its fresh election.
