The Kathmandu Metropolitan City (KMC) has proposed Rs5.37 billion budget for the fiscal year 2017-18 of which it expects to collect Rs 1.83 billion in revenue from internal sources.

The KMC has given top priority to infrastructure development, city beautification and greenery project, reconstruction of earthquake damaged heritage, land pooling, city traffic and parking management and sanitation for the next fiscal.

The metropolis has allocated Rs 1.62 billion for the city’s infrastructure development and building public construction areas including parks and open space while Rs 412 million has been earmarked for reconstruction of the earthquake damaged heritage sites. Presenting the budget at the KMC’s 29th Municipal Council meeting on Monday, KMC CEO Rudra Singh Tamang said: “Next fiscal year’s budget has been made taking into account the upcoming local elections.” The KMC has allocated Rs810 million for environment conservation, Rs812 million for land pooling, and Rs 113 million for management of natural disasters. The metropolis has earmarked Rs100 million for Kathmandu Ujyalo Programme for the next fiscal, down from the current Rs230 million.

The KMC will start collecting data of the buildings made illegally and initiate legal action against them from this fiscal year, CEO Tamang said.  

Continuing its focus on improving the public transport management in the metropolis, the KMC has allocated Rs20 million to purchase shares of Upatyaka Nagar Yatayat Limited. The KMC had invested Rs100 million in Sajha Yatayat in 2016.The KMC has given continuity to the grants given to former Kumaris, elderly people above 88 years, people with permanent disability. The KMC has been providing Rs 10,000 each in monthly grant to former Kumaris and citizens above 88, and Rs 3,000 to people with disabilities.