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Kathmandu, Nov 28: With the March 5 House of Representatives election looming after the Gen-Z movement push, the government has arranged the funds needed to run the polls, even though the FY 2025/26 budget had no allocation for it. The Ministry of Finance has redirected money from fragmented projects to cover the shortfall.

The Election Commission (EC) had sought about Rs 7.5 billion, but the MoF has released roughly Rs 5 billion so far. Funding for security forces is still being finalized. Around 325,000 personnel are expected to be deployed, though the exact costs remain under review, according to the Ministry of Home Affairs.

In the 2022 elections, security alone cost nearly Rs 9 billion. EC spokesperson Narayan Prasad Bhattarai said the Finance Ministry has promised additional funds if needed, ensuring the election will not be hampered by budget constraints.

“Some reduction this year is understandable, since the EC returned about Rs 2.5 billion unused from the previous polls,” Bhattarai added.

Preparations are underway despite lingering uncertainty over the election’s actual execution. The EC requires funds for staff deployment, printing ballot papers, voter education, transport, and more than 50 types of materials including ballot boxes, stamps, ink, pens, envelopes, and even clocks. Reusable items like scissors, calculators, and mats also need to be supplied.

People’s News Monitoring Service