Supreme Court Rules MP Development Fund Unconstitutional
Summary
The Supreme Court has ruled that the MP Development Fund, or Constituency Infrastructure Development Program, is unconstitutional because it violates the separation of powers and turns lawmakers into budget spenders. The court ordered governments not to create similar funds in future budgets and said project implementation must remain an executive and local-level responsibility.
Key Points
- The Supreme Court said direct spending authority for MPs under the MP Development Fund breaches constitutional principles and democratic norms.
- The ruling came in a writ case against Madhesh Province’s budget allocation for direct and proportional MPs in fiscal year 2080/081.
- The court ordered governments not to include similar controversial funds in future budgets and to leave implementation to the executive and local bodies.
- The verdict cited foreign precedents from India, the Philippines and Kenya on limits to legislative involvement in budget spending.
