JKP allocated Rs 9325 cr, down from Rs 9789 cr
*BSF, CRPF engaged in anti-terror ops in JK get enhanced funding
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Feb 1: The Union Finance Ministry has imposed a cut of Rs 1277 crore in Central grants to Jammu and Kashmir while police budget of the Union Territory has also gone down by Rs 464 crore.
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The grants were unveiled by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman during presentation of annual budget for 2025-26 in the Parliament today.
Jammu and Kashmir was approved Central assistance of Rs 41604 crore during 2023-24 which went up to Rs 42277.74 crore during current financial year of 2024-25. However, in revised estimates of 2024-25, the grants were reduced to Rs 41000.07 crore which were equal to the grants given to J&K during today’s budget for next financial year of 2025-26.
There has been a reduction of Rs 1277 crore in the Central assistance to Jammu and Kashmir for 2025-26 as compared to 2024-25 if the budgetary estimates are taken into account. However, the Central grants are equal if revised estimates of 2024-25 are considered.
As far as grants to Jammu and Kashmir Police which falls under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs are concerned, they have also been reduced by Rs 464 crore for 2025-26 in comparison to budgetary estimates of 2024-25.
Jammu and Kashmir Police was accorded Rs 9789.42 crore budget during 2024-25 in the budgetary estimates including Rs 9046.17 crore revenue budget and Rs 743.25 crore capital expenditure. For 2025-26, JKP has been given Rs 9325.73 crore including Rs 8897.72 crore revenue budget and Rs 428.01 crore capital expenditure.
The JKP budget is around Rs 464 crore less for 2025-26 taking into account the budgetary proposals of 2024-25. However, in the revised estimates of 2024-25, the budget had been reduced to Rs 8665.94 crore including Rs 8420.71 crore revenue budget and Rs 245.23 crore capital expenditure.
Jammu and Kashmir Police has been in the forefront of fighting terrorists in the UT along with Army and paramilitary forces.
These budgetary provisions have been made to meet the administrative expenditures of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, which is responsible for maintaining and enforcing law and order and managing traffic in J&K.
Since 2024-25, the J&K Police’s budget has been part of the Union Budget.
In 2019, the Union Government took over the power of legislating on J&K Police through the J&K Reorganization Act.
“Subject to the provisions of this Act, the Legislative Assembly may make laws for the whole or any part of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir with respect to any of the matters enumerated in the State List except the subjects mentioned at entries 1 and 2, namely ‘Public Order’ and ‘Police’ respectively, or the Concurrent List in the Seventh Schedule to the Constitution of India in so far as any such matter is applicable in relation to the Union Territories,” Section 28 of the law bifurcating J&K into two UTs stated
The UT has been given Rs 300 crore for industrial development which is at par with budgetary estimates of 2024-25 but Rs 125 crore more than the revised estimates which were Rs 175 crore.
“The New Central Sector Scheme for Industrial Development of Jammu and Kashmir will be effective till March 31, 2037,” the budgetary proposals said. It may be mentioned here that Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has recommended increase in the existing amount of Rs 28,400 crore as this amount of incentives has been exhausted due to massive response to the scheme. The Government of India will separately come out with enhancement of incentives in the scheme, if approved.
Jammu and Kashmir has also been allocated Rs 279 crore as grants towards contribution to the UT Disaster Response Fund and Rs 101.77 crore to meet resource gap funding for infrastructure projects.
There has been no provision for grants towards 624 MW Kiru hydro electric project and 800 MW Ratle hydro-electric projects like 2024-25. For 540, MW KWR hydro-elected project, no grants for equity contribution have been kept as against Rs 171.23 crore given in 2024-25. However, Rs 101.77 crore have been proposed as support for capital expenditure of UT.
Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry has been given Rs 56.11 crore in the budgetary proposals for 2025-26 as compared to Rs 70.60 crore in 2024-25. The amount was brought down to Rs 54.55 crore in revised estimates of 2024-25. Jammu and Kashmir Light Infantry which was known as J&K militia up to May 1977 is presently a full-fledged Regiment of Indian Army having 15 battalions apart from a Regimental Centre and Record Office.
The Union Budget has allocated Rs 2,33,210.68 crore to the Ministry of Home Affairs with the majority of the fund — Rs 1,60,391.06 crore — being given to Central Police Forces like CRPF, BSF and CISF which are responsible for internal security, border guarding and security of vital installations.
Among the paramilitary forces, the CRPF got Rs 35,147.17 crore, up from a revised estimate of Rs 34,328.61 crore in 2024-25, the BSF got Rs 28,231.27 crore (Rs 27,895.73 crore in 2024-25), the CISF was allotted Rs 16,084.83 crore (Rs 15,272.22 crore in 2024-25), the ITBP got Rs 10,370 crore (Rs 9,861.14 crore in 2024-25), the SSB was given Rs 10,237.28 crore (Rs 9,834.59 crore in 2024-25) and the Assam Rifles was allotted Rs 8,274.29 crore (Rs 7,855.23 crore in 2024-25).
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) is mostly deployed for internal security duties, operations against terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir, Naxals in Central and Eastern India and insurgents in the northeast.
The Border Security Force (BSF) guards India’s borders with Pakistan including Jammu and Kashmir and Bangladesh and it is also deployed for internal security duties.
The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) guards vital installations like nuclear plants, airports and metro networks. The CISF also secures airports in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) guards the India-China border including Ladakh, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) guards the India-Nepal and India-Bhutan borders while the Assam Rifles protect India’s border with Myanmar.
The Intelligence Bureau (IB) has been allocated Rs 3,893.35 crore (Rs 3,966.21 crore in 2024-25), the Delhi Police got Rs 11,931.66 crore (Rs 11,467.62 crore in 2024-25) and the Special Protection Group got Rs 489.00 crore (Rs 510.97 crore in 2024-25).
The IB is India’s internal intelligence agency, the Delhi Police guards the national capital and the SPG provides security to the Prime Minister.
The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was allocated Rs 1,922.59 crore (Rs 1,838.38 crore in 2024-25) and the Modernisation of Police Forces was allocated Rs 4,069.24 crore (Rs 2,623.74 crore in 2024-25).
Meanwhile, Rs 5,597.25 crore has been allocated to the Border Infrastructure and Management, Rs 4,379.20 crore has been given for developing police infrastructure, Rs 960.12 crore for schemes related to women’s safety, Rs 12,491.17 crore for various central sector projects and schemes sponsored by the Home Ministry, Rs 4,876.34 crore for Security-Related Expenditure and Rs 1,056.40 crore for the Vibrant Villages Programme.
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