CS Reviews UNDP SDG Strategy Roadmap Directed For Target Achievement

Srinagar: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, Wednesday chaired a meeting to assess the strategy proposed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for aligning the annual budget of Jammu & Kashmir with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with emphasis on outcome-based planning, convergence of schemes and evidence-based allocation of public resources.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Finance; Commissioner Secretary, Information Technology; Commissioner Secretary, Social Welfare; Secretary, Agriculture; Director Planning, besides senior officers and representatives of various departments.
The UNDP team made a detailed presentation to provide a preliminary roadmap for aligning public expenditure with the Sustainable Development Goals, outlining a structured approach for integrating SDGs into the budgeting and public financial management architecture of the Union Territory.
Speaking on the occasion Chief Secretary of Jammu & Kashmir has directed the Planning Department to establish a dedicated team to collaborate with the UNDP in creating a comprehensive roadmap for achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This initiative emphasizes the importance of mapping Centrally Sponsored Schemes and local government initiatives against specific SDGs to clarify their contributions and identify additional resource needs to address existing gaps. The Chief Secretary highlighted that achieving SDGs requires coordinated actions across various sectors rather than isolated departmental efforts, advocating for the convergence of schemes and focused implementation to ensure measurable outcomes. The Additional Chief Secretary of Finance, Shailendra Kumar, reinforced the need for a clear assignment of roles to each scheme in relation to SDG targets, suggesting that a thorough mapping of schemes will enhance clarity on necessary interventions and timelines. He also stressed the importance of capacity building for officials and the development of an SDG-aligned budgeting framework to ensure effective implementation. The UNDP’s proposal outlines a three-year program aimed at integrating SDGs into the budgeting and public financial management systems of Jammu & Kashmir, establishing a direct link between budgetary inputs and SDG outcomes. Key components of the proposed framework include an SDG Budget Tagging Framework, an integrated digital platform linked with the existing financial management system, and institutional capacity building through an Output-Outcome Monitoring Framework. This framework will classify departmental expenditures in relation to SDGs and facilitate a web-based portal for tracking and visualizing budget allocations. The initiative aims to enhance quarterly reporting on SDG expenditures, allowing for better assessment of spending effectiveness and resource allocation. Recent data from the NITI Aayog SDG India Index indicates significant progress in Jammu & Kashmir’s SDG journey, with its composite score rising from 53 in 2018 to 74 in 2023-24, making it the second fastest-improving Union Territory in the country. The establishment of the SDG Coordination Centre and the finalization of State and District Indicator Frameworks further support this progress. The proposed interventions are expected to shift governance from input-based to outcome-based, improve scheme convergence, and ensure that development priorities in underserved areas are adequately addressed. Overall, the Chief Secretary’s directives aim to create a structured, outcome-oriented roadmap for SDG achievement in Jammu & Kashmir, integrating budgetary resources and measurable outcomes into a cohesive planning framework.