Nepal's just unveiled budget does not prioritise post-earthquake reconstruction and will lead to the government's collapse, a top leader of the main opposition Nepali Congress said today.
Speaking at a workers' training programme in Nawalparasi, Nepali Congress General Secretary Shashank Koirala said the government presented a populist budget so as to please everyone instead of prioritising the post-earthquake rebuilding and other important tasks of nation building.
Even the coalition partners of the government UCPN (Maoist) and Rastriya Prajatantra Party -- are dissatisfied with the budget, Koirala claimed .
He said the Nepali Congress will now formulate new strategy to deal with the current government.
It was very unfortunate that the budget did not accord necessary importance to reconstruction and increase productivity, he said.
The budget simply distributed funds to various sectors at a time when the nation's economy has been crippled by last year's earthquakes and the subsequent border blockade that lasted for nearly five months, Koirala said.
"Budget with huge debt will only increase poverty," he said.
Koirala also asked the government not to announce local body elections before finalising the issue of border demarcation, one of the major demands of the Madhesi parties.
Nepal on Saturday unveiled a nearly USD 10 billion budget for fiscal year 2016-17.
