Nepal

Nepal: Budget dispute halts Madhesh provincial assembly indefinitely

KathmanduPati July 03, 2026

Janakpur – Nepal’s Madhesh provincial assembly was adjourned indefinitely on Friday after opposition lawmakers blocked the proceedings demanding amendments to the budget for the 2083/84 fiscal year.

Members of the opposition Janata SamajbadiParty (JSP) Nepal and the Janamat Partyprevented the assembly from conducting business continuing a protest that also disrupted Thursday’s sitting.

Speaker Ram Ashish Shah urged opposition lawmakers to allow the session to proceed saying Finance Minister Yubaraj Bhattarai was prepared to respond to lawmakers’ questions and concerns.

However, the opposition refused to lift the obstruction insisting that the proceedings could not continue until budget allocations for what they described as fragmented development projects were revised.

JSP Nepal lawmaker Upendra Mahato and Janamat Party lawmaker Sanjay Kumar Yadavalleged that the budget had been deliberately manipulated and said the assembly would not be allowed to function unless the disputed provisions were corrected.

With the opposition maintaining its stance speaker Shah adjourned the Madheshprovincial assembly indefinitely.