Delay in capex budget hampers devp in Jammu
Over three months on since the budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year was presented by chief minister Omar Abdullah in March, allocation of funds under the Capex plan have been delayed to some extent, thereby taking a toll on development works in Jammu region.
MLAs rued delay in releasing the funds for the development of their constituencies. 'It's been nearly two months now and we have not received funds under the Capex plan,' said a head of a key government department, on the condition of anonymity.
'J&K, because of its geographical location, gives us a limited period of time to implement development works. Monsoon is around the corner and then winter will set in. This way, we won't be able to work to the fullest and only 60 to 70% work will be done during this fiscal year,' he added.
A district commissioner said that there has been a two months delay despite the sharing of budget ceilings by the government for the district's Capex plans. 'Having said so, we are submitting our micro-budgeting needs on BEAMS (budgetary estimates, allocations and monitoring system),' he said.
He informed that some funds for the public works department (PWD) were released under the UT Capex budget.
Director general Budget of the finance department, Mohammad Sultan Malik, claimed that soon after the budget, they conveyed budget ceilings to various government departments asking them to upload their respective micro-budgeting needs on BEAMS. 'There is no delay. Soon after appropriation bills for various departments were moved during the budget session, we immediately conveyed ceilings to the government departments and asked them to upload their micro-budgeting on BEAMS,' said the DG.
He, however, informed that some government departments may have not uploaded micro-budgeting heads, which might have been causing delay.
BJP MLA from RS Pura-Gandhi Nagar assembly constituency, Dr Narinder Singh Raina, drew attention to the Constituency Development Funds (CDF) of elected legislators.
'The CDF has neither been hiked to ₹4 crore from ₹3 crore, nor it has been released as yet,' he said.
The BJP MLA, however, asserted that centrally sponsored projects were being implemented in J&K without any delay.
An MLA of the ruling National Conference also said that the delay in approvals has hampered development works.
Deputy director, development expenditure of the finance department, Raman Sharma, had issued the letter on May 30, which read, 'Kindly find enclosed herewith district-wise/ sector-wise ceilings under district Capex budget 2025-26. The ceilings in respect of remaining sectors shall be communicated separately. In this connection, I am directed to request you to formulate a work-wise plan strictly within the conveyed ceilings and furnish the same, both in hard & soft copy, to this department by or before June 15, 2025.'
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