SRINAGAR: Peoples Conference president Sajad Gani Lone on Tuesday strongly criticised the government’s budget, describing it as a purely bureaucratic exercise that lacks a political vision and fails to reflect the mandate of an elected government.
Speaking in the Legislative Assembly, Lone said that budgets framed by elected governments normally carry a clear political imprint, but argued that the present budget does not. He maintained that it resembles a routine administrative document rather than a policy-driven political statement.
Lone also questioned the government’s commitment to providing free LPG cylinders to economically weaker sections, saying the announcements made in the budget fall short of the promises outlined in the election manifesto. He pointed out that while the manifesto assured 12 free gas cylinders per EWS household, the budget speaks of providing only six cylinders, which he said does not honour the pledge made to voters.
He further alleged that the government has excluded nearly 14 lakh Below Poverty Line families—now classified as priority households—from what it has described as a major welfare announcement. Referring to a 2018 order that changed the nomenclature of BPL families to priority households, Lone questioned how these families could be considered economically stronger. He said the Union Territory has around two lakh Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) families in addition to the large number of priority households.
Lone estimated that fulfilling the promise of providing 12 LPG cylinders to EWS households would require an annual expenditure of about Rs 1,680 crore, amounting to nearly Rs 8,500 crore over five years. However, he alleged that the government plans to allocate only Rs 120–130 crore annually, with total spending of Rs 350–400 crore over the next three years, far below the committed amount.
He also claimed that the cost of the LPG scheme is being indirectly recovered from the poor through a reduction in diesel rebates. According to Lone, the government would collect around Rs 250 crore by cutting diesel subsidies while returning only Rs 120 crore to beneficiaries, resulting in a net saving of Rs 130 crore at the expense of economically weaker sections.
Raising concerns over employment policy, Lone described the outsourcing of government jobs as a social and economic disaster. Citing a government response in the House, he said that around 24,000 jobs have been outsourced. He questioned why the elected government continues a practice that it had earlier opposed during the period of Governor’s rule, warning that continued outsourcing could have serious long-term consequences for society.
