Home Minister Sudan Gurung has said that the budget allocated to the Ministry of Home Affairs is not sufficient to meet the ministry's responsibilities.

Speaking at a meeting of the State Affairs and Good Governance Committee at Singha Durbar on Thursday, Gurung said the ministry has been assigned highly challenging tasks but lacks adequate resources to perform them effectively.

He noted that maintaining good governance, managing disasters, strengthening security agencies, and controlling narcotics require substantial financial and operational support. Gurung said he had worked hard to secure an additional Rs. 20 billion beyond the budget ceiling, but even that would not have been enough.

Regarding disaster management, the minister said cumbersome provisions in the Public Procurement Act often delay the purchase of rescue equipment. He argued that completing procurement procedures for heavy-capacity drones can take so long that the monsoon season may already be over by the time the equipment arrives. He urged lawmakers to support amendments to the procurement law.

Gurung added that the ministry plans to adopt a more preventive and preparedness-based approach to disaster management and that he himself intends to conduct field monitoring.

"The ministry faces a shortage of budget. We have been assigned difficult responsibilities, but the available resources are extremely limited. If lawmakers raise their voices for increasing the Home Ministry's budget, our agencies will be able to work much more effectively," he said.

On narcotics control, the minister acknowledged that existing approaches have not been sufficiently effective. He said the government is preparing to launch joint operations with India's SSB security force to curb cross-border drug trafficking at its source.

Gurung also cautioned that including detailed information about drugs in school textbooks could unintentionally create curiosity among children. He stressed that any such policy should be developed only after careful study and consultation.

Finally, he emphasized that governance requires cooperation across political lines and pledged to implement constructive suggestions provided by lawmakers.