POKHARA: CPN (Maoist Centre) lawmaker Resham Bahadur Jugjali tore up the provincial budget booklet at the rostrum of the Gandaki Provincial Assembly on Monday, accusing the government of sidelining Myagdi district in the new fiscal allocations.

Jugjali, who represents Myagdi, expressed anger during the discussion on the budgets of three ministries, claiming that new projects worth Rs 35 million were selectively allocated only to Nepali Congress and UML-backed areas.
He alleged that Myagdi, represented solely by Maoist lawmakers in both constituencies, was unfairly ignored for the past two years.

In a dramatic protest, he offered to personally fund visits of the Physical Infrastructure and Finance Ministers to tour Myagdi if they were unaware of its geography.

“If the Rs 20 million allocated to Myagdi district is too much, take it back. This budget means nothing after two years of injustice to Myagdi,” he said before tearing the booklet with the Speaker’s permission.

Jugjali also stated that even ruling party members were frustrated with the budget. “I boycott this budget from the Ministry of Finance. I want to tear this book to protest the exclusion of voices like ours,” he declared.