Budget focuses on empowering PRIs

Amit Khajuria
Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 16

After a gap of 22 years, the J&K Governor approved a full Budget for the next financial year on Saturday evening. Before this, then Governor KV Krishna Rao had approved the full Budget in 1996.

The approval of the Rs 88,911-crore Budget by the State Administrative Council headed by Governor Satya Pal Malik came three days ahead of the imposition of President’s rule in the state.

The Budget, presented by Principal Secretary, Finance, Navin K Choudhary, mainly focused on infrastructure development and empowerment of panchayats and municipal bodies in the state.

The state administration has earmarked Rs 2,573 crore for the panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and Rs 1,030 crore for urban local bodies during next 15 months.

Each panchayat in the state will get funds ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1 crore depending on the area and population for developmental activities at the grassroots level.

As many as 2,000 posts of accounts assistants are proposed to be created for PRIs to help them manage expenditure and for account-keeping.

To give a big push to the infrastructure development in the state, a large chunk of Rs 30,469 crore has been kept for investment in the sector during 2019-20.

For infrastructure in the existing colleges and 40 new degree colleges, an allocation of Rs 50 crore in the remaining period of the current financial year and Rs 200 crore for the next financial year. The required manpower, including the teaching faculty, will also be provided for these colleges.

All under-construction buildings of medical colleges, district/sub-district hospitals, public health centres, etc, are proposed to be completed during the next fiscal for which an allocation of Rs 350 crore has been proposed.

An amount of Rs 100 crore has been proposed as one-time augmentation of the equipment in the hospitals across the state.

While the provision for power purchase has been enhanced to Rs 5,261 crore in 2018-19 against the original budgetary provision of Rs 4,700 crore, a provision of Rs 5,000 crore has been kept in the Budget estimates for 2019-2020. In addition, the administration is hopeful of receiving the concurrence of Union Finance Ministry to grant the permission for raising Rs 3,500-crore state bonds to address the past power purchase liability.

To check power pilferage, the power development department is in the process of procuring and installing prepaid smart meters in all the households/business establishments, etc.

To promote planned expansion of the twin capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, metropolitan authorities will be created for which an initial provision of Rs 100 crore has been made.

In another step for bettering the education sector, the government will invite reputed career counsellors to higher secondary schools and colleges to make the students aware of opportunities available to them across various fields. A sum of Rs 2 crore has been provided for this purpose.

Around 27,000 posts have been created to regularise the teachers recruited through Rehbar-e-Taleem and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan. This measure alone will cost the state exchequer an additional burden of Rs 1,000 crore.

The annual Budget has also proposed to subsidise cost of 500 new large buses in the private sector. Accordingly, Rs 25 crore has been provided for it.

Rs 1,030 crore for urban local bodies

• Rs 2,573 crore for panchayati raj institutions
• Rs 1,030 crore for urban local bodies
• Every panchayat to get funds ranging from Rs 20 lakh to Rs 1 crore
• 2,000 posts of accounts assistants for panchayati raj institutions
• 50% subsidy for refrigerated vans for transportation of perishable vegetables/fruits
• 40 new degree colleges across the state
• Prepaid smart meters to be installed in all households/business establishments
• Metropolitan authorities to be created for Jammu and Srinagar city
• Career counseling at higher secondary schools and colleges
• 500 subsidised buses in the private sector
• 50 new vehicles for tehsildars/SDMs
• 27,000 posts created to regularise the teachers recruited through Rehbar-e-Taleem and Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan