NEW DELHI: The Revised Estimates for 2023-24 and Interim Budget 2024-25 of Government of Jammu and Kashmir were today placed before the Parliament by Union Finance Minister, Smt. Nirmala Sithraman. The two Appropriation Bills on the Supplementary Budget for 2023-24 and Vote on Account for 2024-25 will be considered by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha in this regard.

Finance Department of the UT had drafted the Supplementary Budget for the current year and the Interim Budget for the next financial year. For this, the Department had assessed the revenue receipts of the UT Government from GST, motor spirit tax, excise, and stamp duty. Further, the non-tax revenue from electricity and water supply, mining royalty, timber sales, annual rent from industrial lands, etc were also examined. The own revenue of the UT Government has been estimated at Rs. 20,867 crore. The UT Government also pursued Government of India for getting central financial assistance.

Lieutenant Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary, Shri Atal Dulloo led the UT’s efforts in this direction. Crucial meetings were held in August 2023, October 2023 and January 2024 in Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Finance to review these demands of the UT Government. Union Home Minister and Union Finance Minister personally reviewed the fiscal management of the UT Government in recent months.

Accordingly, the Central Government has agreed to provide ₹41751.44 Cr to the UT Government in this financial year and ₹ 37277.74 Cr in the next financial year. These assistance figures have been duly captured in the Revised Estimates of 2023-24 and the Budget Estimates of 2024-25 of the Union Government. This assistance will be provided under the MHA’s demand no 58 for assistance to the UT. This assistance includes the normal assistance (resource gap) to the UT Government, equity contribution for hydropower projects at Kiru, Kwar and Rattle, etc. These assistance figures are captured in the Union Budget which is already before the Parliament and the same will be taken up for discussion before the UT’s interim budget.

Building on this, Government of Jammu and Kashmir drafted its Supplementary Budget for 2023-24 and Vote on Account for 2024-25. Finance Department also drafted the two Appropriation Bills (Supplementary Demands and Vote on Account) for placing before the Parliament.

The revised estimates for 2023-24 is overall lower than the budgeted estimates 2023-24 as the UT government was successful in streamlining its expenditure. The supplementary demands for 2023-24 of ₹8,712.90 Cr pertain to the four Departments of Finance, Power Development, Hospitality and Protocol and Cooperatives.

The supplementary budget is required by Finance department in view of the repayment of debt, while Power Development department needs to provide for power procurement. The Hospitality and Protocol department intends to develop the new J&K Bhawan at Dwarka, New Delhi for which land will be allotted from DDA. The Cooperative department requires the funding additionally for its new CSS, Assistance to Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS).These additional demands are proposed to be catered with Supplementary Demands for the current year 2023-24.

The interim budget for 2024-25makes provisions for the ongoing initiatives for infrastructure development, sustainable agriculture, new industrial estate, PRI level works, employment generation, developing tourism, and social inclusion.During preparation of the interim budget proposals, consultations were held with all the Departments and various stakeholders to provide for ongoing initiatives and arrive at realistic budgetary numbers. For finalizing expenditure proposals, assessment of financing needs of infrastructure projects, social and economic measures undertaken by Departments was undertaken.

The budgetary exercise focused on the imperative of advancing the cause of the greater collective good within the realistically realizable resources. While the budgetary estimate for the next financial year 2024-25 is about ₹1,18,728 Cr, the UT Government has proposed the Vote on Account for ₹59,364 Cr.

 This interim budget for 2024-25 covers revenue expenditure of ₹40,081 Cr and capital expenditure of ₹19,283 Cr.The interim budget of Jammu and Kashmir for 2024-25 provides for the ongoing measures and schemes as follows –

1)      ₹2959 Cr provisioned for tap-water connectivity for rural areas under Jal Jeevan Mission with Rs 532 crore as UT Share.

2)      ₹934 Cr for transforming agriculture and allied sectors of the UT through the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), including provisions for IFAD funded J&K Comprehensive Investment Plan (JKCIP).

3)      ₹1907 Cr for rejuvenating school education infrastructure and services through funding under Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan.

4)      Provision of improving road connectivity with ₹ 1683 Cr for PMGSY roads,₹ 300 Cr for CRF roads, and ₹ 1000 Cr NABARD scheme.

5)      ₹ 1313 Cr for strengthening decentralized governance by providing for local area works of panchayat and urban local bodies.

6)      ₹ 1271 Cr for strengthening infrastructure and services in the health sector under National Health Mission mechanism.

7)      ₹ 1093 Cr for rural housing under PMAwasYojana-Grameen scheme.

8)      ₹ 1000 Cr for comprehensive social security coverage for Old aged, Widow and Disabled pensions by saturation approach.

9)      ₹ 660 Cr for J&K’s equity for in the hydro electric projects at Ratle, Kwar, and Kiru, which would provide stable revenue source and cheaper power.

10)    ₹505Cr for timely procurement of machinery, equipments,prosthetic aidsand drugs in Health sector through the dedicated corporation.

11)    ₹ 500 Cr for capitalization of the banks, including Cooperative Banks, Rural Banks, J&K Bank, etc.

12)    ₹ 450 Cr for infrastructure of new Colleges and Universities as per NEP vision.

13)    ₹430 Cr for women empowerment intervention ofLadliBeti and Marriage Assistance

14)    ₹ 400 Cr for construction of Transit accommodations for Kashmiri Pandit employees.

15)    ₹ 400 Cr for development of Industrial Estates and related infrastructure.

16)    ₹ 370 Cr under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Urban) scheme.

17)    ₹ 390 Cr for Flood Management Project of River Jhelum.

18)    ₹ 450 Cr for GST re-imbursement to ensure timely reimbursement of the claims.

19)    ₹ 272Cr for DDC/BDC grants improving local governance at district and block level

20)    ₹ 174 Crfor development of model schools under PM-Shri scheme.

21)    ₹ 150 Cr for developing rooftop solar and other avenues of new and renewable energy.

22)    ₹ 140 Cr for creation of Sports Infrastructure

23)    ₹ 100 Cr for conclusion of World Bank funded Jhelum Tawi Flood Recovery Project.

24)    ₹ 100 Cr for Mission Youth programmes for education, skilling, and employment

25)    ₹ 100 Cr for heritage preservation,

26)    Rs91 Cr for new tourism destinations, new circuits, Sufi circuit and identified religious circuits, ropeways, highway resting placesand promotion of Golf.

27)    ₹ 70 Cr under infrastructure for welfare of tribals for construction of Tribal Hostels/Milk Villages/ Nomad Shelters/Libraries for Gujjars.

28)    ₹ 100 Cr for sewerage projects in urban areas, ₹ 70 Cr for development of new Townships and affordable  housing and ₹ 50 Cr for Dal development.

29)    ₹ 40 Cr for Tourism promotion, ₹15 Cr for the festival promotion and for promotion of cinema/ threatre.

30)    ₹ 40 Cr for meeting incentives as per the provisions of the Industrial Policy and Start-ups; ₹ 15 Cr for trade promotion through J&K TPO; and ₹ 100 Cr for Youth startup/Job fairs/employment fairs.

31)    ₹ 30 Cr for establishment of cold storage and ₹ 30 Cr for high density plantation.

32)    ₹80 Cr for establishment of DDC/BDC/PRI accommodation and offices as also for security arrangements of DDC/BDC/PRI representatives.

33)    ₹59Cr for construction of Police Housing colony and relief and rehabilitation

34)    ₹45Cr for construction of Bunkers and for digitization and CCTVs in Police Stations

35)    ₹ 30 Cr for improving Quality in Schools, School Infrastructure, for Career Counseling and for introduction of additional Streams in Schools.

36)    ₹ 5 Cr for replacement of old fleet in transport sector.

The two Appropriation Bills on the Supplementary Demands for 2023-24 and Vote on Account for 2024-25 of the UT Government are likely to be considered by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during 7th to 9th February 2024.

#JAMMU: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Saptah’ celebration at the Convention Centre, Jammu.

The iconic week event is dedicated to the memory of Bhagwan Birsa Munda, brave tribal freedom fighters and to celebrate and commemorate the glorious history of tribal communities, culture and achievements.

In his address, the Lt Governor paid tributes to Bhagwan Birsa Munda and other great tribal personalities and lauded the significant contribution of tribal communities in nation-building.

 He announced that the J&K UT Administration will provide 5 marla land to the 17,000 Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (G) eligible landless tribal beneficiaries in coming days.

“It is our topmost priority to safeguard the rights and benefits extended to all the tribal communities. The administration is committed to ensure that the tribal population in Jammu Kashmir enjoy equitable benefits of growth,” he said.

At the Janjatiya Gaurav Saptah event, the Lt Governor highlighted the efforts of the UT Administration for welfare and development of tribal communities over the past few years.

Community and Individual Forest Rights, Self Help Groups for forest produce, support to new enterprises had transformative impact in tribal areas. J&K Administration has taken concrete steps for economic empowerment of tribal communities through Sheep farms, Dairy units and Tri-Wool Project, he said.

We have expanded and made educational opportunities accessible to all tribal communities including migratory population. Construction of new tribal hostels, smart schools, Eklavya, coaching facilities for competitive exams, skill development programmes have started showing results in overall development, the Lt Governor added.

The Lt Governor reiterated the commitment of the UT Administration to achieve saturation of government flagship schemes and reach out to all targeted beneficiaries in a time-bound manner.

“Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, will ensure no tribal family is left out of the journey of development and progress,” he said.

The Lt Governor also appreciated the artists for promoting the rich cultural heritage of tribal communities.

 Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to Lt Governor; Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary;  Anand Jain, IGP Jammu;  Sachin Kumar Vaishya, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; senior officers and members of Tribal communities in large numbers were present.

#JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir has achieved a significant milestone and remarkable feat in e-governance by providing over 1028 services in online mode for citizens, institutions, and business establishments. In the National e-services Delivery Assessment (NeSDA) report released by the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), Government of India today,  the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir secured the topmost position with an impressive 1028 e-services, surpassing Madhya Pradesh with 1010 e-services and Kerala with 911 e-services.

This landmark achievement firmly places Jammu and Kashmir at the forefront of states and UTs in the provisioning of e-services.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, while commending the efforts of all Departments, said that it is an achievement in tune with the commitment and resolve of the J&K administration to provide ease, convenience and accessibility of services to the common man ushering in a new era of digital governance.

This remarkable achievement is reshaping the social landscape, enhancing citizen satisfaction levels, ensuring transparency and accountability and empowering the aspirational and talented youth of the region.

“Driven by a ‘citizens-first’ approach and a steadfast commitment to empowering the public, this digital transformation represents a significant stride towards a governance system that is transparent, accountable, and highly efficient”, he said.

Under the Digital J & K programme launched in mission mode last year, the number of online services has increased exponentially from 35 services in 2019 to 1028 services as on date. The remarkable digital journey of J&K and the resultant transformation from a laggard status in e-governance to a leading position in such a short span of time is unprecedented.

This has brought about a paradigm shift resulting in increased transparency, accountability and efficiency at all levels. There has been a palpable reduction in corruption and increase in citizen satisfaction which is being regularly monitored through a citizen feedback mechanism. Over 61 lakh messages have been rent to the citizens for the feedback assessment with 86% approval rating, Similarly 73 services have been integrated with Digilocker.

The seriousness of Government’s resolve can be gauged from the fact that the Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA), 2011 has been amended to bring online services under its ambit. Around 300 services have been brought under the auto-escalation mechanism for ensuring time bound delivery of services and penalties for delays in service delivery.

Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, while congratulating all the Departments for achieving this feat, said that it is a result of commitment to transparent and corruption free Governance. Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed exceptional increase in volume and uptake of e-services which has transformed the government-citizen interface as never before.

“It is the adoption of a robust model of e-Governance  and citizen-centric approach by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir which has resulted in an exponential rise in the number of online services and availability of services 24 x 7 x 365” he said.

#SRINAGAR: In a landmark decision, the Government of Jammu Kashmir has approved a proposal for allotment of 5 Marlas of land each to landless PMAY (G) beneficiaries. The decision was taken by the Administrative Council on 21st June 2023. The present allotment restricted to only the left out cases out of Permanent waiting list (PWL) 2018-19, which may later, at the time of launch of next phase of PMAY(G) scheme in 2024-25 be extended to the same categories of landless beneficiaries, who otherwise become eligible for getting housing assistance under PMAY(G) Phase-III. Following categories of Awaas plus beneficiaries will be considered by the Deputy Commissioner concerned for allotment of land under the JK revenue laws:

1. People residing on State land;
2. People residing on Forest land;

iii.      People residing in Rakhs and Farms land, where construction is not permitted;

1. People sitting on Custodian land; and
2. Land allotted to displaced people by Government near Dachigam park

          for agriculture purpose, where construction is not permitted.

1. Any other category of cases who are otherwise eligible for housing but do not have any land available for construction.”

“It is a historic day for Jammu Kashmir and a new beginning for thousands of landless families,” Lieutenant Governor, Shri Manoj Sinha said further adding that this historic decision will prove to be a golden chapter in Administration’s effort for social justice, equality, respect, and equal opportunities to all citizens.

“This path-breaking decision will not only entitle the landless poor to own a piece of land and have a house but it will also provide them means of livelihood, raise their living standards and realize their dreams and aspirations,” the Lt Governor said.

The Lt Governor said the poor section of the society is at the centre of government policies and a substantial population that was devoid of basic facilities and rights even after seven decades of Independence is being brought to the mainstream of development.

“Jammu Kashmir government is committed to Inclusive development. This move will open up endless opportunities to the poor and downtrodden and with this landmark decision the administration is acknowledging their immense contribution in the task of nation building,” the Lt Governor observed.

BACKGROUND

1. Ministry of Rural Development, GoI has on 30th May2023, allocated an additional target of 199550 Houses to UT of J&K for the FY 2023-24 for saturation of the Awaas + list (PWL 2018-19).
2. It has been desired by the Ministry to sanction these houses by 30th June, 2023 and ensure completion by 31st March, 2024.
3. In order to complete the exercise expeditiously, Block Level Camps were organized across the UT from 4th to 10th June, 2023, for obtaining the requisite documents of Households enlisted in AwaasPlus PWL, namely bank details, Aadhaar card, MGNREGA job card, ration card, revenue documents, phone number and a declaration that they have not constructed the house already and they are otherwise eligible under the guidelines of the scheme. These documents are needed, to ensure registration and sanctioning of houses as per assigned targets on AwaasSoft portal.
4. As on date 144385 houses have been registered and 141371 houses have been sanctioned to eligible households enlisted in Awaas + PWL against the aforementioned target.
5. During the field verification of beneficiaries in the aforesaid period of Block Level Camps, it has been reported by the field functionaries that 2711 households enlisted in Awaas + PWL are landless. There are many more, who could not otherwise submit their documents due to various reasons like seasonal migration. If the Government of India extends the timeline,
   this number is expected to go up by a couple of thousands. Else they will be considered in the next phase of the scheme.
6. PMAY(G) guidelines of Ministry of Rural Development provide for providing land of 25sqmt (Approx one marla) to the landless beneficiaries for construction of PMAY house. But in order to ensure sufficient land availability with them to support their basic living, it has been decided to allot five (05) marlas of land to following categories of persons, who are part of Awaas plus Permanent waiting list (PWL) 2018-19:-
7. Land less.
8. Occupying state/forest or any other land, where construction is not permitted.

#SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor #ManojSinha inaugurated the 100-Bedded Base Hospitals at #Baltal and Chandanwari, through virtual mode, today.

The Lt Governor congratulated the #DRDO, all the associated officials, engineers and the workforce for completing the construction of the hospitals in a record time of 15 days.

The Lt Governor said the two makeshift State-of-the-art hospitals, built by DRDO, will help in providing better and round the clock healthcare facilities to the pilgrims of Shri #Amarnath Ji Yatra and to those engaged in Yatra Management.

The Lt Governor expressed gratitude to Hon’ble Prime Minister #NarendraModi and the Ministry of Health for providing all necessary resources for hospitals.

Baltal and Chandanwari Hospitals are equipped with the most advanced equipment, separate block for doctors and nursing staff, ICU Wards, Oxygenated Wards and Triage areas and other required inventories for all critical medical care, he added.

“J&K Government has laid great emphasis on healthcare of pilgrims and local community involved for arrangements of pilgrimage,” the Lt Governor said.

He directed the health officials to prepare a proposal for permanent hospitals at Baltal and Chandanwari. Soon base camps will have sustainable healthcare facilities, he added.

The Lt Governor directed the officials to ensure strict enforcement of all the health-related SoPs with special focus on sanitation and cleanliness in and around the hospitals. It is our collective responsibility to make the pilgrimage of the devotees more convenient and hassle-free, he added.

He urged the doctors and nursing staff to serve the people with compassion. He also wished the pilgrims and entire management team health, happiness and prosperity.