Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 18: The J&K Budget presented in the Union Parliament by the Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has invited mixed response from various organizations and individuals across the J&K UT.
Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) has termed the budgetary proposal as short of people’s expectations in view of the unprecedented situation and changes as well as lot of hopes given to the people.
Reacting to the Budget proposals JKPCC has termed it routine statement of receipts and expenditure which is less than Planning Commission norms of at least 20 pc increase over last year. The Budget is too short of the people’s needs and expectations in various sectors especially the promises extended for massive development and infrastructure creation after coming directly under Central Govt.
Party spokesperson, Ravinder Sharma said that there is lot of shortfall of funds in various sectors due to the mess created by the previous Coalition Government as large scale neglect and pendency of development works and liabilities besides the increased unemployment during recent years. There are hollow slogans and promises in the Budget. There is no allocation for the more than one lakh youth seeking regularisation from daily wager categories and over 50,000 others working on temporary and contractual basis, he added.
J&K National Conference today said the budgetary allocations for Jammu and Kashmir for the year 2020-21 sans vision leaving people affiliated with horticulture, handicrafts, and tourism sector high and dry.
In a joint statement, Party spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar and District president Peer Afaq said the incumbent Central Government has miserably failed to take steps to revive the ailing economy of J&K.
“The people associated with horticulture sector of the State had pinned their hopes on the budgetary allocations, hoping that the Central Government would come to their rescue and provide recompense to their losses that they had incurred due to the inclement weather conditions previous year and the prevailing tumultuous situation. However, the people associated with the concerned sector are feeling dejected,” they said adding, “There is nothing substantial in the Budget that endeavors to revive the demand and consumption in J&K.
They said the annual budgetary allocation for J&K for the year 2020-21 is diminutive and directionless. “The fate of nearly 61,000 consolidated and daily wagers is hanging in lurch. The Government has yet again chosen to not to address their woes in its financial layout for 2020-21. The pay anomalies in SR0-202 job policy should also be revisited to bring the wages of employees engaged under it at par with other Government employees,” they said.
Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) J&K unit welcomed the decision of Central Government to allocate Rs 2392 crore for education sector in J&K which has been reeling under great financial crunch direly needed to improve and upgrade the education standard with respect to infrastructure and filling up of vacant positions of teachers.
This proposed allocation amount is more than Rs 1000 crore to last year’s allocation in education sector. ABVP secretary, Mukesh Manhas expressed his satisfaction on allocation of funds under Education and Sports sector in the recently announced JK Financial budget for the fiscal year 2020-21by the present dispensation at the Centre. He further told that Rs 300 crore budgetary allocation for construction and improvement of infrastructure in existing and new colleges, Rs 30 crore for sports, Rs 2000 crore for generating 50,000 jobs and Rs 27000 crore for self employment under priority sector in Jammu and Kashmir is historical and a welcome step taken by Centre Government.
While reacting to Govt’s budgetary announcement that it proposes to fill up 50000 vacancies in Government sector in Jammu and Kashmir in 2020-21, CPI (M) leader MY Tarigami questioned what happened to previous similar promise made in August last year.
CPI (M) leader said on August 28, 2019, the then Governor Satya Pal Malik announced that 50,000 jobs would be made available for the youth in the next three months. The latest announcement by Union Finance Minister seems to be a similar promise. Ex-MLA said after the August 2019 clampdown, economy has virtually collapsed as tourism, trade and other vital sectors were badly hit. Whole businesses have been shattered in Kashmir in the last more than seven months.
Those who were already earning their livelihood were deprived of the same. Thousands of casual labourers, need-based daily wagers, scheme workers and others are without wages for the last more than eight months.
While welcoming the J&K UT Budget, Mushtaq Ahmad Chaya, former chairman and mentor, PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that the Finance Minister has presented a bottoms-up, inclusive, balanced and focussed budget with a stress on socio-economic development of the J&K. He said the focus on employment, skill development, rural development, agriculture, horticulture, health sector, promotion and upgradation of Tourism sector, Agriculture, Social Welfare, Handicraft and Handloom, development of infrastructure, would go a long way to promote all-inclusive development in the economy of J&K. The infusion of capital of Rs 1000 crore for improving banking services will enhance the health of the banks and push up the pace of lending in the economy, by increasing the sentiments for credit availability, he added.
Big infrastructures push such as a massive program for improvement of Mughal Road, Mass Rapid Urban Transport system, a massive push to infrastructure road connectivity through the projects such as 400 crore for macadamization, 50-crore each for restoration/preservation of Dal Lake and Wular lake, 200-crore for Back to Village programme for providing basic and other amenities in villages, interest subvention to 1000 artisans, introduction of Karkhandar Scheme, the target of building infrastructure construction of bridges, 150 e-buses, 100% water supply, reform in power sector, will certainly push the infrastructure health of the J&K to the next level.
Ashwani Sharma, former MLA and senior BJP leader thanked PM Modi for over Rs 1 lakh crore budget to J&K. In a statement to the press Sharma said the J&K is going to witness a new era of development after Narendra Modi led Government has presented over Rs one lakh crore budget to newly created Union Territory.
He also extended gratitude to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman for huge budget, which J&K never had in the history. He said the UT is being given what the Modi Government had promised after abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019. This budget is surely going to take the UT out of the economic mess, he said.
The senior BJP leader said that this Budget is a balanced one which is aimed at addressing the concerns of each and every issue of J&K. On unemployment front, BJP Government at the Centre has promised to absorbed over 60,000 youth in Government jobs in upcoming days, which will help the educated unemployed youth, he added.
Agriculture and tourism sectors have been given over Rs 300 crore and three new religious-tourism circuits have been announced including the long pending Shiv Khori-Uttar Behni-Purmandal-Mata Sukrala Devi, which is the demand of people of Jammu region, Sharma said.
Senior BJP leader and its Executive Member Raman Suri said that BJP is committed to welfare of the youth of J&K and has kept its promise by announcing 50k jobs with budgetary provisions. Suri said that ever since the creation of UT, Union Government has put J&K’s development on priority. He said, after extending several Central laws to the UT, and abolishing controversial and discriminatory laws from here, a cleansing process has been set rolling to nail the corrupt and to pave way for a clean and effective administration.
These jobs, he added, are in line with the development package wherein educated unemployed youth will be made part of development process and will be made to contribute in prosperity of Jammu and Kashmir. He asserted that, skill development programmes at district level are also encouraging less educated youth to seek technical training so that they can be employed as well.
Former minister Thakur Randhir Singh welcomed the budget presented by Finance Minister for Rs 1.01 lakh crores for Jammu and Kashmir. Singh said that the Budget will ensure consistency in growth of Indian economy in coming fiscal. He said that UT of Ladakh has been ignored by the successive Kashmir Centric Govts now after budgetary announcement for this region will boost tourist industry.
He said that Budget produced in session will boost development of J&K and bring prosperity to every class adding that the Union Budget will nourish all sectors and improve education, infrastructure besides empowering every citizen. Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi after the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A. the UT of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh “The budget promises long term growth and stability with its primary focus on entrepreneurship and employment.” said Singh.
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