Thanking Members For Participation CM unveils roadmap for fiscal, tourism, power, housing reforms
“ Panel devising framework for daily wager regularization”
Jammu : The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly Thursday passed grants amounting to ₹61,575.88 lakh for the General Administration Department (GAD), ₹47,648.38 lakh for Planning, ₹12,408.31 lakh for Information, ₹12,54,383.63 lakh for the Power Development Department (PDD), ₹52,37,955.90 lakh for Finance, ₹7,742.54 lakh for Parliamentary Affairs, ₹75,028.93 lakh for the Law Department (excluding the Election Department), ₹78,461.35 lakh for Revenue, ₹4,22,783.97 lakh for Housing & Urban Development (H&UDD), ₹66,622.88 lakh for Tourism, ₹40,749.54 lakh for Hospitality, Protocol & Estates, ₹17,622.31 lakh for Culture, and ₹1,46,098.46 lakh for Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (DMRRR). The grants were passed following extensive two-day discussions in the House. The Assembly also passed 19 supplementary grants amounting to ₹3,52,341.28 lakh.
Replying to the discussion on demands for grantsChief Minister expressed appreciation for the active participation of 43 legislators in the discussion on Demands for Grants, emphasizing therein the importance of their contributions for learning and improvement. He acknowledged the administrative efforts in addressing over 500 cut motions, highlighting the hard work of secretaries and departmental heads. Addressing the concerns of Daily Rated Workers and other temporary staff, Abdullah committed to a transparent and phased regularization process, overseen by a committee to ensure legal and financial viability. He clarified the government’s approach to filling approximately 30,000 vacant posts this year, while also recognizing the role of outsourcing as a means of providing employment. The Chief Minister outlined the financial challenges faced by Jammu and Kashmir, noting that only 25% of expenditures are covered by local revenue, with the remainder reliant on central assistance. He discussed the implications of centrally sponsored schemes on financial flexibility and expressed confidence in improving implementation in the coming year. Abdullah emphasized the importance of utilizing interest-free loans for development and confirmed the end of off-budget borrowing practices. He acknowledged delays in employee retirement benefits but reported significant increases in disbursements. Abdullah also highlighted the necessity of addressing climate change impacts through a dedicated mitigation fund and assigned departmental responsibilities for climate-related studies. In terms of tourism, he noted a successful revival of the sector and plans for expanding tourism into remote areas, which could significantly boost the local economy. Abdullah addressed the power sector’s challenges, stating intentions to develop additional capacity while ensuring the implementation of the RDSS scheme without privatization of distribution companies. On housing and waste management, he assured action against land encroachments and announced major housing projects focused on economically weaker sections. He committed to completing ongoing mini-secretariats and resolving lease-related issues. The Chief Minister assured transparency in the CDF scheme and rationalization of media advertisements, emphasizing his stance against media censorship. He concluded by thanking the legislators for their contributions and requested the withdrawal of cut motions, which was agreed upon by the House.
