Srinagar: The upcoming budget of Jammu & Kashmir is likely to focus on financial empowerment of the district development councils for which polls were held in November- December last year.
Sources told The Precious Kashmir that the empowerment and strengthening of DDCs will be one of the focus areas of the budget, which will be presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman later this month.
“The Centre is committed to empower and strengthen the Panchayati Raj institutions in J&K. It is expected that funds would be allocated for DDCs in the budget so that they can execute development works in rural areas of the districts,” they said.
It will be first budget of UT after DDC polls were held for constituting the third-tier of Panchayati Raj institutions.
The DDCs were constituted last month after the State Election Commission conducted elections for their chairpersons and vice-chairpersons in all 20 districts of J&K.
The electoral college for the exercise consisted of members of DDCs who were elected last year. The budget of the UT will be presented in the Parliament this month as J&K doesn’t have its elected government.
Since June 2018, J&K is without its elected government.
Under J&K Reorganisation Act, powers of J&K Assembly will be exercised by the Parliament in absence of elected government in the UT.
The budget for ongoing fiscal was also presented in the Parliament by Central government last year. On March 17, 2020, Union Finance Minister unveiled Rs.1.01 lakh crore Budget for Jammu and Kashmir for the 2020-21 fiscal, making it the highest ever budget for the region.
Of Rs. 1,01,428 crore, Rs 38,764 crore were earmarked for capital expenditure and Rs 62,664 crore for revenue expenditure.
