SRINAGAR: Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Jammu and Kashmir budget in the Lok Sabha on February 5, 2024. It was her fifth consecutive budget estimate that she presented in the parliament after Jammu and Kashmir.

Here is the full text of the speech Ms Sitharaman made:

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Mr Speaker Sir,

The Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir has been marching rapidly ahead on the path of socio-economic development since the transformative reforms of August 2019. The Union Territory Government is committed to pursuing the path of accelerated and inclusive growth which enables its citizens to shape their destiny and discover new aspirations.

The government stresses strengthening good governance and grassroots democracy, promoting sustainable agriculture and industrial development, nurturing employment generation and responsible tourism, and ensuring women’s empowerment and social inclusion.

The crucial reforms undertaken in 2019 enabled path-breaking measures by the Union Territory Government to decentralize governance structure, promote inclusive development, improve efficiency and transparency of public expenditure, upscale revenue generation, minimise wasteful expenditure, and step up infrastructure development.

The Government is maintaining law and order to ensure security while simultaneously implementing initiatives for economic and social development. The Government has adopted a policy of zero tolerance against militancy. Security forces are taking effective and continuous action in countering militancy. Due to the effective measures and efforts taken, the security scenario in Jammu and Kashmir has significantly improved.

Decentralizing Governance

For strengthening people’s voice and decentralizing governance in rural areas, the 73rd Amendment to the Constitution was adopted and the Jammu and Kashmir Panchayati Raj Act 1989 was amended in2020. The Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) were consolidated by providing three crucial ‘F’s – funds, functions and functionaries. Twenty-seven subjects were transferred to these institutions for ensuring properly defined role for these institutions in local planning, decision making and supervision.

The elections to the first PRI tier were held in November, 2018 and to  the second tier of Block Development Councils (BDCs) in November December, 2019. The District Development Councils (DDCs) were constituted for establishing a functional Panchayati Raj system as mandated under the 73rd Constitutional Amendment. For the first time  in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, direct elections were conducted in280 DDC constituencies. 3991 Sarpanches and 28521 Panches, 264BDC Chairpersons and 280 DDC members were elected.

Grants to the tune of Rs. 1642.06 crore under the fourteenth FinanceCommission were held up from 2016-17 for non-conduct of Panchayatelections. These funds were unlocked and released in 2019-20 to theHalqa Panchayats through PFMS system. The Gram PachayatDevelopment Plans (GPDPs) were framed through participatoryplanning. These GPDPs are being regularly uploaded on e-GramSwaraj Portal.

Massive Capacity building exercise were carried out for all PRIs and about 6,000 elected representatives were sent on exposure cum training visits to learn best practices of other States/ UTs. Power to grant building permissions in rural areas was delegated to PRIs at panchayat level. Monthly honorarium is being provided for the elected representatives of the PRIs of all the three tiers.

Strengthening Public Outreach

After the re-organization, Jammu and Kashmir has embarked on the ambitious Back to Village (B2V) programme for reaching out to the people at the grass-roots and understanding their felt needs. Till now, five rounds of this programme have been conducted from 2018-19 to2023-24. The Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Gazetted Officers, and other Government Officers have regularly

toured to all 4291 panchayats and held detailed interactions at respective panchayats to redress the grievances of common people. Prabhari Officers were appointed in all panchayats for conducting monthly meetings with all the line departments for redressal of the grievances and follow-up of issues related to local development.

As a sequel to B2V programme, the unique initiative of “Aspirational Block Development” programme was started for upliftment of backward blocks. The blocks were judiciously chosen and Rs. 44crore (Rs.1 crore per block) was provided for accelerated development of such blocks. “Aspirational Panchayat Development” programme for providing financial assistance to selected 285

panchayats (one panchayat per Block) was also launched for their holistic development.

 Legal Reforms for Social Justice Prior to the Constitutional reforms of 2019, the people of Jammu and Kashmir were deprived of benefits of important central legislations, like the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009,the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,  Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act,2006, the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1954, the Whistle Blowers Protection Act, 2014, the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 and other important central legislations. After the 2019 reforms, all the provisions of the Constitution and all Central Acts have been made applicable to the UT.

Prior to August, 2019, several sections of the society, like West Pakistani Refugees, Safai-Karamcharis and Valmikis who were residing in Jammu and Kashmir since independence, were not entitled to vote in the assembly and PRI elections. The reforms enabled extension of such basic democratic rights to these sections. Further, important segments of society like, the West Pakistani Refugees,

Safai-Karamcharis and Valmikis, children of local women married outside Jammu and Kashmir and other similarly situated persons had remained deprived of their basic rights. The reforms of 2019 helped such residents of Jammu and Kashmir get domicile certificates and become eligible for applying to government jobs and such other similar benefits.

Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act, 2004 has been amended to extend the reservation to the persons residing in the areas adjoining actual line of control and adjoining International Border in direct recruitment, promotions and admissions in different professional courses. The percentage of reservation was increased from 3% to 4%for such persons.

As part of affirmative action, reservation has been extended to Pahari Speaking People and the economically weaker sections of the society for their upliftment. Recently, the Parliament has amended the Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act to bring “Other Backward Castes” of Jammu and Kashmir at par with other parts of the country. Jammu  and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019 was recently amended to provide representation in the Legislative Assembly of UT by way of nomination to Kashmiri migrants and displaced persons from areas of Jammu and Kashmir under occupation of Pakistan.

Earlier, no political reservation, i.e. reservation of seats in the Legislative Assembly of UT, was available to the persons belonging to Scheduled Tribes (ST). With the Constitutional changes and enactment of the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization Act, 2019,seats have been reserved in Legislative Assembly for persons belonging to ST community.

 

e-Governance initiatives  Ushering in a new era of digital governance, the Union Territory Government transitioned from physical files to the electronic system of e-Office. Over 450 government offices upto district level have adopted the e-Office. This adoption enabled the Government to end the 150year-olddarbar move and save about Rs. 400 crore annually.

This drive for information technology in governance has ensured that several key services of various departments are provided online. It eliminated the need to approach government offices for routine services and benefits. Jammu and Kashmir achieved a remarkable feat by offering over 1100 citizen centric services online and thus securing the top spot nationwide and setting up new benchmark in

digital governance. Jammu and Kashmir was ranked first amongst Union Territories in National e-Service Delivery Assessment in 2021 in both the state portal and services categories. Robust citizen feedback mechanism has been created and online services were opened for feedback. Jammu and Kashmir is leading among the Union Territory with maximum number of services linked with Rapid Assessment System(RAS).

Public Services Guarantee Act (PSGA) was amended to encompass online services for ensuring time-bound delivery. The Mobile-Dost app and Digi-Dost initiatives further extend mobile governance and doorstep delivery of services; thereby promoting digital inclusion. Jammu &Kashmir Integrated Grievance Redressal & Monitoring System (JKIGRAMS) was created to facilitate citizens to lodge a grievance online. The portal also enables the citizens to track the grievance online.

This digital revolution in the Union Territory signifies a paradigm shift towards enhancing transparency, accountability, and efficiency in governance across all levels.

Improving Transparency and Efficiency in Governance To further enhance transparency in land administration, the Aap ki Zameen Aap ki Nigrani portal was created. This allowed the citizens to access their land records online. 29 lakh land holders in the Union  Territory today have a land passbook containing details of all parcels of land under their ownership. Registration of land revenue documents have been made online. Registrations are completed within a day.2,53,083 registrations have been made since 2019 and Rs. 1505.70crore revenue has been realized.

Details of all developmental works were made available online on the EMPOWERMENT / JANBAGHIDARI portal. The portal enables citizens to view all ongoing works online without any restrictions. Public monitoring of works in online mode has led to reduction in construction cost and fast-tracking of work execution. The Union Territory government ensured accountability in development by starting physical verification of works through the field officials of Planning Department. The online PROOF (photographic record of onsite facility) platform was introduced to track work progress with geotagged photographs at pre-and post-execution stages.

General Financial Rules were introduced in the Union Territory to nurture discipline in approval, bidding, and execution processes. The Union Territory government started IT reforms to streamline financial management by ensuring work-wise allocation of funds through BEAMS (Budget, Estimation, Allocation & Monitoring System) platform. Further procurement of goods and services through Government e Market Place (GEM) was universalized to enable competitive purchases and cost savings. The Union Territory Government received the Gold medal for its major progress in GEM based procurement.

Accelerating Infrastructure Development The Union Territory Government made judicious capital investments to accelerate infrastructure development. As several projects were remained stalled in 2018-19, the Union Territory Government prioritized such languishing projects based on their economic potential and social importance. For the prioritized projects, the Government provided accelerated funding and commissioned 1632 projects with cost of Rs 3218 crore.

Prime Minister’s Development Package has provided a major push tobridge the infrastructure deficit of the UT. Under this Package, anamount of Rs. 46,981 crore was released for 53 projects. An amountof Rs. 45,448 crore has been utilized till December, 2023 and 33projects have been completed.

Power Sector- To harness its hydro-electric potential, the Union Territory Government partnered with NHPC to develop the 624 MW Kiru, 850 MW Ratle, 1000 MW Pakal Dul and 540 MW Kwar projects.  Till date Government of India has provided Rs.1300 crore for equity contribution to Union Territory for Kiru, Kwar and Ratle projects. By expanding the installed hydro power capacity from 3500 MW to about6500 MW, the government aims to harness the natural advantage and lower its power purchase cost. The work on these projects is going onin full swing. MoU was also signed with NHPC for development of  further 04 hydro power projects, namely Sawalkote (1856 MW), Dul  Hasti stage-II (258 MW), Uri-I stage -II (240 MW), and Kirthai-II (930MW), with total capacity of 3284 MW. Investment of about Rs. 50,000crore will flow in Jammu and Kashmir through these projects. The UT will also benefit from its share of free power, long term supply of stable power, expansion of economic activities, and creation of job opportunities.

In the Transmission sector, 1940 MVA capacity was added since 2019at 220 KV level by way of creation/ augmentation of 8 Grid Stations.2080 MVA was added at 132 KV level by way of creation/augmentation of 30 Grid Stations. 467 km of new transmission lines  were laid. In the Distribution sector, 1753 MVA capacity was added at66-33 KV level by way of creation/ augmentation of 266 Sub-stations. Total 10953 km of new HT and LT lines were laid. 1255 MVA capacity was added at 11 kV level by way of creation/ augmentation of 9071distribution transformers.

For the first time since independence, Gurez Valley in northern Kashmir has been connected to the electricity grid. This massive expansion of transmission capacity by 150% during 2019-2023 has enabled the expansion of electricity supply to interior villages and the fulfillment of much higher demand. Smart metering has been undertaken to reduce losses, improve revenues, and facilitate consumers track their consumption. 4.61 lakh smart meters have been installed by January 2024.

The Union Territory Government has worked tirelessly to develop renewable sources of energy, including small hydropower projects and solar power projects. The Science and Technology department executed rooftop solar projects in Jammu and Srinagar cities.

Roads & Railways – The railway link between Jammu to Srinagar is  being constructed in full swing. Kashmir is expected to be rail connected to rest of the country in the year 2024. World’s highest rail bridge has been constructed on Chenab River.

The government also expanded and strengthened road network through Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) and Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) funding. Over 7000 km of roads to various villages has been constructed under PMGSY in the past four years. Considering data of the 2001 census, all rural settlements have been connected under the Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana, and work is underway to provide connectivity to the remaining villages figuring in the 2011 census data.

Through close monitoring and accelerated execution, the roadconstruction speed has doubled. While 2914 projects got completedand 9382 kms of roads were blacktopped during 2017-20, over 7820projects were completed and 17248 km roads got blacktopped during2020-23. This has substantially improved road connectivity to remotevillages and substantially reduced traveling times in this Himalayan UT.

A new milestone has been achieved by up-gradation of Jammu Srinagar National Highway by way of constructing 8.45 km long twin tube Qazigund-Banihal tunnel at an estimated cost Rs 3017 crore. Work on 13.15 km 2-lane bi-directional Zojila tunnel with 14.20 km parallel escape on Srinagar-Leh road is in progress at an estimated cost of Rs 4509 crore.

Work on 6.40 km Z-Morh tunnel on Srinagar Sonamarg road is in progress at an estimated cost of Rs 2379 crore. Project for Sudhmahadev–Dranga tunnels I & II (8 kms) on NH- 244 was approved by MoRTH on EPC mode for an amount of Rs. 3703 crore. Work on 1.574 km Khellani Bypass tunnel on NH 244 has been taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 431.28 crore and 70% physical progress has been achieved. Work on 495 m tunnel of NH 244 from Chamoti to Drabshalla is also in progress.

Work on semi-ring road for Jammu (58 km) is nearing completion with52 km length getting constructed. Work on 4-laning semi-ring road forSrinagar is moving ahead with 39% work (Phase-I) being completed. Double laning of Akhnoor-Poonch road has been taken up at a cost ofRs 3685 crore, which will hugely benefit population in Poonch andRajouri districts.

Irrigation & Water Supply – There has been a dramatic improvement in provision of water supply to households in the entire Union Territory. The government invested capital funds in construction of bore-wells and tube-wells, commissioning of water treatment plants, development of overhead tanks, and laying of pipe network. This helped in rapidly expanding the household tap connections from 5.70 lakh covered before 2019 to about 14.20 lakh rural households by January 2024through funding under Jal Jeevan Mission.

Tawi Barrage project, envisaging creation of an artificial lake to enhance tourism potential of Jammu, has been recommenced after 08years. Project execution is in full swing and likely to be completed at a cost of Rs. 64.80 crore. Work on Shahpur Kandi Dam project has been undertaken in right earnest. This will pave the way for Jammu  and Kashmir to get its due share of 1150 cusec water from the river Ravi and resolve a long pending issue.

Flood Management program of river Jhelum and its tributaries (PhaseI) has been completed, thereby increasing the carrying capacity of  Jhelum from 31800 cusec to 41000 cusec at Sangam confluence point. In the aftermath of the flooding of Jhelum river, 213 projects were undertaken with concessional assistance of 250 million USD from World Bank. Of these, 175 projects have been already completed and38 projects are being actively executed. Project expenditure has cumulatively reached Rs. 1320 crore.

Urban Development & Housing – Planned development of residential infrastructure in satellite cities is underway, with mass housing colonies and new townships being established in KotBhalwal, Chatterhama, and Gund Aksa. Efforts for smart mobility, digital governance, and sustainable development have made Jammu and Srinagar a new model of urban transformation for other cities in the UT.

Under Affordable Rental Housing Complexes (ARHC) programme, the affordable houses were completed at Sunjwan, Jammu and handed  over to eligible beneficiaries on 2nd August, 2023. The government completed several infrastructure projects for water supply, sewerage and solid waste management in various municipal areas through AMRUT funding.

Under Smart City programme, both Jammu and Srinagar cities  witnessed revamp of urban infrastructure and services. By pooling the  schematic funding with convergence funds and promoting public private partnerships, the government was able to mobilize private sector finance for improving urban infrastructure. Moving towards green urban transport, the Government is plying 150 electric buses (eBuses) in the twin capital cities, aiming at efficiencies and economies in operations and better user experience.

Unlocking Economic Potential

Agriculture & Allied sectors – Recognizing the crucial importance of agriculture and allied sectors for rural livelihoods, the Union Territory Government is working towards bringing all farming land under two crop patterns. The cold storage capacity has been augmented by 68%from 1.133 lakh MT in 2018 to 1.910 lakh MT in 2022. The UT will cross the 2 lakh MT capacity mark by March 2024. In order to ensure economic security for farmer families, a total of 14.83 lakh Kisan Credit Cards (KCC) have been distributed so far.

More than 12000 hectare area is now added under high density fruit  plantation. This will substantially increase the income of apple growers. The Government is also providing suitable market linkages and air transportation to identified perishable fruits and vegetables under  ‘PARVAZ’ scheme. Total 23 mandis have been integrated with electronic National Agricultural Market (e-NAM).

The Union Territory Government is investing in turning around the agriculture sector by strongly investing in quality seeds, farm mechanization, high density plantation, cold storages, and farmers insurance. Thus, the government rolled out the 29 interventions in Agriculture & allied sectors under the “Holistic Agriculture Development Programme” with the allocation of Rs. 5013 crore.

This programme is expected to double the value addition from these sectors, boost the sectoral growth rate to 11%, create employment opportunities for over 2.87 lakh youth and establish around 19000enterprises within the next five years.

Rural Development – Jammu and Kashmir has been ranked the third in the monthly income of agriculture households and the fifth best  performing State/UT in agriculture and allied sectors. The UT secured the third ranking in the country in constructing 75 Amrit Sarovars in  each district. 3336 Amrit Sarovars were completed in the UT, which are providing impetus to local tourism and augmenting water  resources for agricultural and domestic purposes.

5 marla land has been allotted to 469 landless families under Awaas Plus PMAY-G (Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana- Grameen) beneficiaries. The number of houses getting constructed annually has quadrupled to51290 in 2022-23 and crossed 47100 by January 2024. The number of annual works under MGNREGA also quadrupled from 54,315 in2019-20 to over 200,000 by January 2024.

Tourism – Tourism department invested in improving tourism infrastructure and services and promoting tourist attractions. The Union Territory earned global laurels when it hosted the Tourism Working Group meeting of the G20 nations from 22 to 24 May, 2023at Srinagar. This event has served as a significant milestone in the progress and development of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir.

To accommodate the increasing tourist flow and provide quality services, the Union Territory Government devised the home stay guidelines. More than 1485 homestays with the bed capacity of13,000 have been registered so far. After granting industry status to the tourism sector, investment in this sector has seen enormous growth. Initiatives are being undertaken to involve local communities in tourism activities and to ensure equitable benefit sharing. These initiatives helped the tourism sector in the UT to do exceptionally well. The sector witnessed unprecedented growth with over 1.88 crore tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir in 2022 and 2.11 crore in 2023.

Stepping up Industrial Development The Union Territory Government launched the Jammu and Kashmir Industrial Policy 2021-30 with the aim to attract new investment, create employment opportunities for youth, develop backward regions and expand existing industrial units. In pursuance to these objectives, the Industrial Land Allotment Policy 2021-30, Private Industrial Estate Development Policy 2021-30, Wool Processing, Handicrafts and Handloom Policy 2020 have been notified.

Apart from the existing 64 industrial estates, 46 estates are being developed to fulfill the goal of ‘Made in Jammu and Kashmir’. Investment proposals worth Rs. 90182 crore were received which have potential to generate employment for 4,01,965 youth. Since2019-20, an investment worth Rs.5319 crore has been grounded. The Start-up policy is also being finalized during the current financial year2023-24. Karkhandar Scheme is being implemented to provide fresh impetus to the craft industry.

Jammu and Kashmir emerged as the top ranking Union Territory of India in the 2022 Export Ranking. The Union Territory improved itsranking from 35 in 2020 to 17 in 2022. Handloom and Handicraft exports have doubled from Rs. 563 crore in 2021-22 to Rs. 1116 crore in 2022-23.

Expanding Employment Avenues The Union Territory Government launched a massive recruitment drive after the 2019 reforms. Since August 2019, 31,830 selections  have been made in fair, transparent, and expeditious manner. Interviews have been dispensed for the posts upto the pay level – 5.Further, 12,264 recruitments for various posts are in pipeline.

Employment generation was also encouraged through self employment schemes and financial assistance from banks. Under the Mission Youth initiatives of Mumkin, Tejaswani, Spurring Entrepreneur programme, financial assistance is being provided to large number of youth and women entrepreneurs.

In order to secure the future of workers in the unorganized sector,  more than 34 lakh labourers have been registered on the e-Shramportal. Efforts are underway to extend the benefits of Prime Minister’s Shram Yogi Maandhan Yojana to all workers in this sector.

The Union Territory Government is working intensively to strengthen the cooperative sector. With the objective of linking Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) electronically with District Central Cooperative Banks, and bringing about transparency in credit provided to farmers and members of cooperatives, 537 PACS have been prioritized. The government is aiming to have one approved PACS in every Panchayat that operates inclusively and supports local economy.

Credit Card Scheme for artisans and weavers is being implemented with an attractive interest subvention of 7%. Financial support is being provided for Cooperatives/Self Help Groups (SHGs) and Food  Producer Organizations (FPOs). The number of SHGs/FPOs is being increased for credit expansion.

Improving Quality of Life Health – Jammu and Kashmir became the first in the country to launch SEHAT(Social Endeavour for Health and Telemedicine Initiative), the Universal Health Insurance scheme, to provide universal health insurance of Rs. 5 lakh per family, free of cost, to all residents of the UT. Going beyond the national norm under Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Aarogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the coverage was extended to the entire Union Territory under SEHAT scheme. Over83.50 lakh persons are issued the SEHAT Golden Cards. About 229hospitals are empanelled under AB-PMJAY /SEHAT scheme for providing quality health care. About 10.70 lakh treatments have been provided so far which has reduced out of pocket expenditure of Rs.1844 crore for patients. The Union Territory received Prime Minister’s award for this initiative.

The Union Territory Government has started over 3000 health and  wellness centres since 2019. The Jan Aushadhi centres have been  expanded from 38 in 2019 to 270 by December 2023. Over 480 new ambulances have been mobilized for emergency care. The coverage under National Health Mission and National Ayush Mission has been made comprehensive. These measures have helped the Union Territory reduce IMR from 22.0 in 2019-20 to 16.3 in 2023-24 as also improve sex ratio at birth from 927 in 2019-20 to 976 in 2023-24.

There has been an unprecedented expansion in medical educationwith establishment of new Medical Colleges. About 4500 seats havebeen added in MBBS, post-graduation, and nursing education withinthe past four years. Seven new government medical colleges havebeen started and operationalized. 28 BSc nursing colleges (includingprivate) and 19 BSc paramedic colleges have been added (includingprivate).

Education – The proper nutrition and education in the first 5 years ofhuman life are often considered the most crucial investments. The Union Territory Government has embarked on the initiative to provide early childhood education by starting development of 15000 preprimary schools. The congenial environment in the UT since 2019has enabled rapid increase in enrollment of students in primary, middle and secondary schools with enrollment rising from 12.40 lakh in 2019-20 to over 15 lakh in 2022-23. Thrust has been provided to girls’ education. The punctuality and working discipline of teaching  staff was enhanced by installing facial recognition based attendance systems in all the schools.

The Union Territory witnessed spurt in higher education with 51 new  degree colleges getting established since 2019. The National Education Policy 2020 was operationalized and the four year undergraduate programmes have been initiated in all colleges in the UT. 66 colleges got the prestigious NAAC accreditation. To facilitate online education, electronic content for 50 subjects has been developed and uploaded. The Union Territory Government instituted the unique feedback portal to evaluate teachers and institutions.  Centralized admission process based on CUET (Common University Entrance Test) score was started through e-Samarth portal. The college and university infrastructure got a major boost through projects under Rashtriya Uchhatar Shiksha Abhiyaan (RUSA) funding. The prestigious national institutes, like IIT Jammu and IIM Jammu, were made functional by providing land and other incentives.

Sports – The 2019 reforms have ushered in a sports revolution in Jammu and Kashmir. There has been a complete revitalization of sports in the UT through completion of 702 sports projects, construction of 100 Khelo India Centres and development of indoor sports complexes across the UT. Multipurpose indoor sports halls have been constructed in almost every district. Playfields have been developed in every panchayat. Floodlighting and synthetic turfing is  being installed in several stadia.

International level sports facilities are being developed in Jammu and  Srinagar. Centres of Excellence have been established in Canoeing, Rowing and Fencing in both Jammu & Kashmir divisions. Synthetic Hockey Turf, KK Hakku Stadium, Jammu and Synthetic Hockey Turf, Pologround, Srinagar were constructed and approved by Federation of Indian Hockey (FIH). Synthetic football turf is being developed atKhel Gaon, Nagrota.

Assuring Financial Inclusion

 The Union Territory Government has prioritized setting up of brick and  mortar branches in the unbanked villages with population more than3000. Out of the priority 167 villages, 162 villages have been covered through banking correspondents or brick and mortar branches. Financial literacy drives have been undertaken in coordination with the scheduled banks.

Under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY), Rs. 4348 crore loans have been disbursed to 1,84,681 beneficiaries till December 2023. Rs.5880 crore loans were disbursed to 7.50 Lakh KCC (Crop) accountholders and Rs 1296 crore to 1.72 Lakh KCC-AHF (Animal Husbandry& Fisheries) account holders. Under the PM-SVANidhi Scheme, special credit facility with a working capital upto of Rs10,000,Rs 20,000 and Rs 50,000 has been disbursed to over 23100 street vendors.

The UT Government, being the promoter of the J&K Bank, strove to improve its capital adequacy and corporate governance. The Union Territory Government facilitated the reforms to limit concentration of power, professionalization of the Board and Management. When the Bank suffered losses due to Covid-19 impact and the consequent high NPAs, the Union Territory Government reinforced the Bank by infusing substantial equity capital over 2019 to 2022. These steps facilitated transformation of the Bank’s financial health and enabled its business growth and transition out of losses of the pre-2019 period. The Union  Territory Government also launched the Interest Subvention scheme to tackle the economic shock of the Covid pandemic. This enabled several business enterprises to sustain and protected the Banking sector.

Expanding Social Inclusion

The Union Territory Government has doubled its social security cover for widows, old aged and physically challenged persons. The monthly assistance/pensionary benefits were expanded from around 5.0 lakh beneficiaries in 2014-15 to about 8.5 lakh in 2022-23. The UT achieved saturation by extending pensionary benefits to all eligible beneficiaries registered with the Social Welfare department. To54enhance the mobility of specially abled persons, the Government has provided motorized tricycles.

Under the merit cum means Minority Scholarship schemes, the Government ensured 210% increase in coverage from 1,43,154(2018-19) to 3,00,651 students in 2022-23. Similarly, 169% increase in the coverage of Scheduled Caste scholarship schemes has been realized with coverage of 63,550 students in 2022-23 as against 8,250in 2018-19.

Tribal Affairs department has undertaken significant initiatives for tribal welfare in the areas of health, education, culture, literature, infrastructure development and livelihoods. Transit facilities were provided to migratory tribal communities. 8 new hostel buildings, 200smart schools, 6 Eklavya model residential schools were developed. The Department provided dedicated coaching facilities, skill development to 2000 tribal youth and scholarships to 46,000 tribal students.

Engendering Women Empowerment

Initiatives like “Ladli Beti” and the “State Marriage Assistance Scheme” are restoring honor and respect to women in the society. Under the UT-sponsored scheme “Ladli Beti”, the Government expanded coverage from 16095 cases in 2017 to 1,03,294 cases upto2022-23. The financial assistance for the deserving girl children increased from Rs. 3 crore to Rs. 150 crore during this period.

Under another UT-sponsored scheme for Marriage Assistance, 62,326poor girls were provided financial assistance of Rs 185 crore since2015-16 to 2021-22. This was massively stepped up during 2022-23;with 16,000 poor girls being provided Rs 80 crore marriage assistance.

Efforts to empower rural women have provided dramatic results. Over seven lakh women are associated with 87,541 self-help groups. Training has been provided to around three lakh women farmers. Women farmers have established nearly two lakh agriculture nutrition gardens to meet the nutritional needs of their families. The Rural Livelihood Mission has started 10,000 micro- startups in the past one year.

The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Second Amendment) Bill,2023 has been passed by Parliament, which provides for reservation of one-third of all elected seats for women in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.

State of Economy in 2023-24 Jammu and Kashmir’s economy remains on right track with the GSDP growth for current financial year (2023-24) expected to be 7.5%. The Union Territory Government continues to focus on equitable growth in all the sectors of the economy. For sustaining the developmental initiatives, the government pursued the tax and non-tax avenues judiciously.

Dealer registration under GST has been expanded from about 72,000in 2018 to 1,97,000 in 2023. Focused enforcement and dealer  outreach drives have been undertaken. Capacity building of taxation staff was undertaken with support of Institute of Chartered Accountants. For stemming GST leakages, mechanism for tracking purchases was developed. For tracking GST deduction under capital  works and improving tax realization, GSTN verification has been linked with bill payment system.

With support of NIC, the UT initiated the e-Stamping system for registration of documents. This enhanced stamps and registration revenues from Rs. 190 crore in 2018-19 to Rs. 486 crore in 2022-23.The Union Territory Government has notified the new excise policy56and established a transparent system of auctions in allotment of liquor vends. The e-Abgari platform is being strengthened for tracking the supply chain and enhancing excise revenue. These measures have enabled revenue from GST, Excise and Stamps to register healthy growth.

The revenue collection under Goods and Services Tax touched Rs6018 crore in 2023-24 (upto December, 2023) exemplifying 10.60percent growth over such revenues in the same period of 2022-23.The revenue from motor spirit taxes reached Rs 1240 crore in 2023-24 (till December, 2023) against the receipt of Rs 1185 crore over the same period of 2022-23. The stamp revenue has increased to Rs 416crore upto December, 2023 against Rs 379 crore during 2022-23,showing a growth of 9.7 percent. The excise collection touched Rs1758 crore upto ending December, 2023 against Rs 1392 crore in the same period during 2022-23, registering a growth of 26%.

The overall tax collection has thus shown significant growth and  resilience. Special focus was given on installing aerial bunching cables and smart meters for tracking power consumption. The installation of 4.6 lakh meters has impacted consumer behaviour and limited power consumption and also improved tariff revenue by about10% in 2023-24. These measures enabled the Union Territory Government to accomplish several milestones across sectors.

Leveraging Direct Benefit Transfer

The Union Territory Government worked intensively to saturate all the  individual beneficiary schemes and ensure 100% Aadhar seeding for beneficiaries. More than Rs 3000 crore has been disbursed to over 63lakh beneficiaries through over 50 Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT)based welfare schemes (both cash and kind) by January 2024.

Jammu and Kashmir recorded 74 crore 42 lakh e-transactions in the previous year, averaging over 2 million electronic transactions registered daily, which is higher than many developed states. Systematic drive has been undertaken to weed out ineligible beneficiaries under ration supply and social security pensions.

Aadhaar-seeding has been undertaken systematically for all welfareschemes. Through bio-metric verification and provision of e-POSmachines, about Rs. 230 crore has been saved through DBT andAadhar based verification under ration supply. Similarly, savings ofover Rs 200 crore are targeted by leveraging DBT under socialsecurity schemes.

Budget 2024-25

The budget estimates for the fiscal 2024-25 is estimated Rs 1,18,728crore, excluding ways and means advance provision. While revenueexpenditure is expected to be Rs 80,162 crore, capital expenditure isestimated to be Rs 38,566 crore.

Mr. Speaker, sir, I will now enumerate before this august House the sector-wise developmental goals achieved by the Union Territory Government in 2023-24.

Economic Sector 21.1 Agriculture and allied sectors:

PM Fasal Bima Yojana was extended to all 20 districts this year. The Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Saffron, Mushkbudji rice, Bhaderwah Rajmash, Sulai Honey and Basmati rice has been achieved. This will ensure better product recognition and quality assurance and fetch better returns to the producers. Further, substantial work for GI tagging of unique agricultural products, like Kashmiri Lal Mirch, Kaala Zeera and Red Rice, was completed.

About 2500 hectare was added under high density fruit plantation which includes 2400 hectare for sub-tropical fruits. The Water Harvesting Tanks (WHTs)/ Community Tanks, Micro irrigation system and Bore Wells are being established for assured irrigation. During the year 2023-24, 83 bore wells were constructed, which added about 100hectare area under irrigation.

Focus has been shifted to non-traditional areas for growing of specialty crops, like Mushkbudji rice, Kalazeera, Bhaderwah Rajmash etc., for increasing cropping intensity and bringing more areas under double cropping. Air transportation facility is being provided to Orchardists for transportation of perishable fruit crops like Cherry, Strawberry, Plum, Pear etc. to outside UT/Country.

Under Holistic Agricultural Development Programme (HADP),nurseries are being established both under public and private sector for producing quality planting material. Six (06) walnut nurseries are being established in private sector for production of budded/grafted walnut plants. 58000 apple clonal rootstock was provided to four (04)nurseries under Private sector for multiplication and production of quality planting material.

12 cold storages with about 60000 MT capacity were commissioned.2000 MT capacity Cold Store at Narwal, Jammu and 2500 MT capacity Cold Store at Mazbugh, Sopore were sanctioned under NABARD loan and these projects are likely to be completed in March2024.

11,000 hectare land was added under cultivation of vegetables during2023-24. Almost entire land, except water logged areas, in Jammu and Kashmir have been made cultivable, thereby initiating Yellow Revolution in the Union Territory. About Rs. 2852 crore has been allocated to farmers under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme sofar. For Agriculture and allied Sectors an allocation of about Rs.2029.95 crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 which is Rs. 500.89 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

21.2 Rural Development: All the villages of Jammu and Kashmir attained ODF Plus Model Status in August 2023. During 2023-24, 25,000 individual house hold  latrines and 563 community sanitation centres were constructed by December, 2023. During 2023-24, 10,200 more SHGs have been formed by the end of December 2023. Under MGNREGA, 182.69 lakh59mandays have been generated against the target of 200 lakh mandays in 2023-24

396 Panchayat Ghars were taken up for construction during FY 2023-24. In 1084 Panchayat Ghars, internet connectivity has been providedthrough BSNL, VSAT, SWAN etc. 47,138 houses have been constructed in 2023-24 (upto December 2023) making the cumulative achievement of 1,75,273 house construction under PMAY(G) since inception of the scheme.

The Rural Regional Banks (RRBs) have faced several challenges due to poor fiscal health and high establishment costs. Their performance was closely monitored for turning them around. Both the RRBs have been provided professional leadership and recapitalization support of Rs 42 crore by the Union Territory Government during 2023-24. This will unlock further financial support of over Rs. 350 crore from the Sponsor Banks and the Central Government.  For Rural Sector, an allocation of about Rs. 3730.83 crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25.

21.3 Tourism: Jammu and Kashmir identified 75 off-beat destinations, which are being developed and promoted at international, national and local  level. Funding for basic amenities has been earmarked for 10destinations in Kashmir and 10 destinations in Jammu division. 75heritage sites have been identified and a special scheme for Revival, Restoration, Preservation and Maintenance of Architecture and Heritage was launched.

The sector witnessed unprecedented growth with over 1.88 crore  tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir in 2022. This positive trend has continued during the year 2023 with record 2.11 crore tourist arrivals. Apart from Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam, tourists discovered the new strengths of Jammu and Kashmir. The new destinations are firmly positioning on the tourist map. Thus in 2023, tourist arrivals in Shiv Khori touched 2 million, 1.05 million in Mansar-Surinsar, 1 million in Patnitop, 1 million in Dudhpathri, and 0.15 million in Lolab.

The number of foreign tourists increased 2.5 times. Off-beat destinations and border area spots are witnessed massive rise in tourist footfall. Gulmarg gandola attracted over 10 lakh tourists and generated revenue of over Rs. 100 crore during 2023-24. The work for development of new alignment and restoration and improvement of  existing tracks leading to Holy Cave of Shri Amarnath  ji has been undertaken through the Border Roads Organization. This work has substantially improved the access, safety and convenience for the  pilgrims and rejuvenate to local tourism.

Eco-mobility facility was started at Sonamarg. The special train with  Vista dome coach was started. The department has organized 97events /festivals and 32 road shows to promote tourism, includingpromotional events at Dubai, Spain and France. In the JammuDivision, the department organized several cultural festivals, includingLohri festival, Baisakhi festival, Shivratri festival, Navratra festival, JhiriMela, mela Bahu Fort, Kailash yatra, Sarthal yatra, Machail yatra, Baba Chamliyal mela, Baba Sidhgoria mela, and Kounsar Nag yatra.  Similarly, in Kashmir division, Border Tourism festival in Teetwal Kupwara, Gurez festival, Ketson festival in Bandipora, Badrkut festival  in Tangmarg and Mundagi, and Pazalpora festival in Baramulla were widely acclaimed. Additionally, the department organized the 3-DaySufi festival in various Kashmir districts, Downtown legacy tour, and ethnic food festivals for showcasing the cultural and culinary heritage  of Jammu and Kashmir.

About 102 films / web series were shot in the Union Territory in 2023.The boat club cum water sports center at Wular Lake is being upgraded to introduce water sport activities in both Wular and Mansabal lakes. Zorbing, Pedal Boating, and Jet Skiing have been introduced in Dal Lake. Water sports activities have also been organized at Mansar Lake and Ranjit Sagar Dam in the Jammu Division. Tourist Information Centres were established at strategic locations such as Baltal, Chandanwari, and Teetwal. Tourist Information Centre has been successfully built in Gurez, specifically to  promote Border Tourism. Seasonal information centres have been established at both Chandanwari and Baltal to assist Shri Amarnath JiYatris during their pilgrimage.

For Tourism sector, an allocation of about Rs. 357.70 crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 which is Rs. 103.95 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

21.4 Forestry & Environment:  Jambu Zoo was inaugurated and started its operations in 2023-24.Over 22,000 eco-clubs have been registered as on date in the UT. Sofar 6722 Van Mitras and 25265 Paryavaran Mitras are enlisted. The  department organized 268 events involving eco-clubs in awareness generation towards ecological conservation.

The Department has rejuvenated the ponds in the forest areas by recharging the ground water through 515 water harvesting system,7469 crates and 86710 cubic metre nallah stone check dams. TheUnion Territory Government ensured 99.76 lakh planting and 94.24lakh low-cost greening interventions.

3971 village panchayats have been covered under “Har Gaon Haryali” plantation drive till December 2023. The remaining village panchayats shall be covered during winter planting season by March 2024. 4349villages have been covered under “One Beat Guard, One Village” programme for greening of land outside forests during 2023-24 by providing free saplings and other planting material to village panchayats for planting on village common land, Kachachari and other wastelands.

135 wetlands have been cleaned and restored in the forest/ protected areas. Restoration of wetlands, like Gharana, Hokersar and Shallbugh, is being executed by way of de-silting, de-weeding and boundary delineation. PARIVESH 2.0 was launched for providing functionalities for online processing of clearance as envisaged in the Forest(Conservation) Rules, 2022.

The Union Territory Government has strengthened joint forest management through emphatic recognition of forest rights of genuine persons. 5053 community forest rights and 352 individual forest rights under Forest Rights Act 2006 have been granted to Schedule Tribes and other eligible forest dweller communities.

For Forest sector, an allocation of about Rs. 156.45 crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 which is Rs. 22 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

21.5 Cooperative Sector:  Performance of district central cooperative banks was closely tracked to improve their financial health. Anantnag Central Cooperative Bank(ACCB) and Jammu Central Cooperative Bank (JCCB) registered operating profit in the year 2023, after a span of three decades. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has been engaged for transitioning JCC Bon the Core Banking Solution.

Data of 8764 Cooperative Societies/Cooperatives has been digitized. Artisan Cards have been made available to artisans/members of Artisan Cooperatives for availing credit from Banks. Cooperative Super Bazaars of Srinagar, Jammu, Anantnag, Baramulla and Budgam have been modernized by way of face-lifting, introducing barcode scanning/ billing machines, digital display boards, etc.

For Cooperative sector, an allocation of about Rs. 25 crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 which is Rs. 5 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

Social Sector

22.1 Health and Medical Education: Two new medical colleges at Handwara and Udhampur have been commissioned this year. This operationalization has enhanced MBBS seats by 200 in the UT. District Budgam, Anantnag & Pulwama have been certified as TB Free districts (along with revenue districts of Kulgam and Shopian). District Srinagar & Kupwara have received Gold Award for TB free districts (along with revenue district Ganderbal). District Baramulla, Udhampur, Kathua & Jammu have received Bronze award (along with revenue districts of Bandipora, Reasi & Samba). The first live Robotic Surgery demonstration was   held at Government Medical College (GMC) Srinagar this year. The Cancer Institute at Jammu is being operationalized.

11476 patients were provided with de-addiction treatment in Jammu and Kashmir. During 2023-24, Non Communicable Disease (NCD)screening data for 5 NCDs viz. Hypertension, Diabetes Mellitus, Oral  cancer, Cervical cancer and Breast cancer has reached 3,98,326.80129 have been diagnosed and 80100 under treatment.

E-Sehaj as part of Hospital Management Information System (HMIS)has been launched to provide various Health Services through digital platform. E-Sehaj has been integrated with the Rapid Assessment System (RAS). Health Management Information System (HMIS) and Tele-ICUs are being developed. Jammu and Kashmir achieved the top ranking among the UTs by achieving the highest number of calls in the National Tele Mental Health Programme.

The Union Territory Government also conceptualized the first of its  kind Chatbot for Tele- MANAS in the country to improve the accessibility to Mental Health Services. Online interventions Like e Sanjeevani, Health Management Information System (HMIS), Scan &Share, Tele Manas etc are being widely utilized for patient   management in an effective manner for optimum utilization of services of specialist and technicians.

For Health and Medical Education Sector, an allocation of about Rs 1427.61 crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25.

22.2 Education Sector: The Union Territory Government initiated implementation of the new CSS; viz. PM- Schools for Rising India (SHRI) for developing model schools with state of art facilities. Approval has been granted for the upgradation of 233 schools in the first phase. Enrollment drive was conducted across all districts under the “Aao School Chalein” campaign and 46,000 out-of-school children were enrolled and mainstreamed. 03 Residential schools have been approved under Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Avasiya Vidyalaya with the capacity of100 students each.

400 smart classes and 397 additional classrooms were constructed during the current year. Free uniform were provided to all the girl64students of elementary classes and for SC/ST/PHC category boys of elementary classes. 100 percent drinking water facility has been made  available in all schools. 172 ICT labs and 213 vocational labs are under construction. 02 Tribal residential schools are being set up during current year. 100 Science innovation centres containing Robotic Labs as well have been approved. 800 schools were identified for Yoga training.

National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has been fully implemented  across all the schools and colleges of UT. 100% Government colleges of the UT have successfully registered on e-Samarth portal. From current academic session, the centralized admission of students through Common University Entrance Test (CUET) was started with39954 students getting admission through this portal. NAAC accreditation of 66 Government Degree Colleges has been completed.

College on Wheels” initiative was flagged off on 19th of November,2023 from Katra Railway Station in which 700 students along with 100faculty members from various apex institutions travelled to different parts of the country in Jammu and Kashmir Gyanodaya Express for experiential learning and innovative exposure.

For School and Higher Education Sector, an allocation of about Rs  1300.10 crore has been made under capital expenditure for  the year 2024-25 which is Rs  201.32 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

22.3 Social Welfare & Rehabilitation: 277 anganwadicentres have being equipped with biometricattendance system. All the anganwadicentres have been geo-taggedand the process for uploading at Gati Shakti portal is initiated.Scholarships were disbursed to 48,905 students under Pre-Matricscholarship (1st-8th) belonging to Scheduled Caste categories. TheWomen Help line service 181 has been established and has beenintegrated with the Universal helpline 112.

 

  1. b) The Union Territory administration is fully committed to theresettlement and welfare of Kashmiri Migrant families. 880 transitaccommodations were constructed for Kashmiri migrants. The UnionTerritory Government has provided regular government employmentto over 5600 migrants under PM-Package for Kashmiri migrants. Thecash assistance and food grains for Kashmiri/Jammu migrants arebeing continued under Security Related Expenditure.

 

  1. c) The Union Territory Government streamlined its processes for socialsecurity cover for widows, old aged and physically challengedpersons.

 

  1. d) Trucks/Lorries have been provided to various districts of the UT forproviding of free transhumant facilities for smooth migration ofnomadic families along with livestock from upper reaches/highlandpastures. Smart schools/seasonal centres, mobile medical units andlivelihood support are being provided under Pradhan Mantri Van DhanYojana. Last fiscal year, there was a manifold increase in scholarshipsfor the tribal community. The financial outlay was increased by over 60%to Rs. 52 crores to provide scholarships to eligible 1.90 lakh tribalstudents.

 

  1. e) Value Addition exercise is being conducted to explore ways to addvalue to tribal products. To ensure quality education for tribalcommunity, 24 ST and Gujjar / Bakerwal hostels are beingconstructed. 07 transit accommodations for migratory population arebeing established. 07 Milk villages are being established during thecurrent year. 158 Smart schools are being taken up for completion.For Social and Tribal Welfare, an allocation of about Rs. 306.82crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25.

 

 

For Relief and Rehabilitation of Kashmir Migrants anallocation of Rs 1067.61 crore has been made under revenue andcapital expenditure during 2024-25, which is Rs 134.68 croremore than the revised allocation of 2023-24.

 

22.4 Culture:

 

 

  1. a) Works for restoration of important historical heritage structures,including Narastan Monument, Hari Parbat Fort, General ZorawarSingh Palace, Mubarak Mandi and SPS museum, have been started.Culture Centres are being established at Bandipora, Shopian,Anantnag, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Kathua, Jammu and Poonch. 13166libraries in the UT are being transformed into e-Libraries in a phasedmanner. By March 2024, 22 Libraries shall be fully transformed ine- Libraries.

 

 

  1. b) Abhinav Theatre at Jammu and Tagore Hall at Srinagar are beingrenovated and upgraded on modern lines. Structured Talent Huntprogramme is under implementation in Union Territory in the four artforms; viz. painting, poetry, essay writing and singing. The Talent Huntprogrammes are being organized from Panchayat to UT level. Phase-Iof the New “Art Museum” at Old Secretariat, Srinagar has beencompleted. Phase-II is expected to be completed by March 2024.

 

 

For Culture Sector, an allocation of about Rs. 111.50 crore hasbeen made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 whichis Rs. 51 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

 

 

22.5 Skill Development & Employment:

 

 

  1. a) 1848 women members were upskilled under Jammu and KashmirRural Livelihood Mission (JKRLM) during 2023-24. The projectproposals of 8 aspirational/border districts prepared by District SkillCommittees have been processed for approval under Skill Acquisitionand Knowledge Awareness for Livelihood Promotion (SANKALP)scheme of Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship.Grading mechanism has been developed for grading of IndustrialTraining Institutes (ITIs) and Polytechnics. Skill Loans from Jammuand Kashmir Bank are being provided for aspiring candidates.

 

 

  1. b) 24 ITIs were registered as Nodal Skill Hubs on Skill India Portal underPradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) 3.0. These impartedskill training to 683 candidates. 1775 candidates have been enrolledby 38 Government ITIs under the pilot phase of PMKVY 4.0. Out ofthese, 1383 candidates have completed the training in theseinstitutions. Skill hubs are identified to provide skill development andvocational training opportunities to school-dropouts and out-of- schoolcandidates.

 

  1. c) 81 job fairs have been conducted as on ending December, 2023 inwhich 1259 placements have been made. 41,382 units have beenestablished under self-employment schemes, providing selfemployment to 161449 unemployed youth. Six District Employmentand Counseling Centers (DE&CCs) have been upgraded as ModelCareer Centers (MCCs). Additional 11 DE&CCs are approved asMCC by Ministry of Labour and Employment.

 

For Skill Development & Employment, an allocation of about Rs.165.50 crore has been made under capital expenditure for theyear 2024-25 which is Rs. 82.53 crore more than revisedallocation of 2023-24.

 

22.6 Sports:

 

  1. a) High performance centers were established in Wushu at Poonch,Billawar, Kulgam and Bakshi Stadium. Yoga centre at M A Stadiumhas been established & is functional. Yoga centre at Bakshi Stadiumis being developed. National competitions held in Handball, ArmWrestling, Junior National Tennis Ball, Cricket and Thang-ta. LegendsLeague Cricket was also held at Jammu.

 

  1. b) Jammu and Kashmir hosted 04 National level events in 67th NationalSchool Games 2023, in the disciplines of Football, Volleyball, Judo &Fencing. Cricket, Football, Volleyball & Wushu academies have beenestablished for institutionalization of Sports learning process. Inaddition, sports academies in disciplines of Hockey, Gymnastics,Water sports, Judo, and Table Tennis have also been set up.

 

  1. c) National coaching camps in the discipline of Wushu, Kayaking &Canoeing and Football have been organized. National events in thediscipline of Handball, Deaf Cricket, Deaf Chess, Pencaksilat, Rowing,Softball, Tennis Ball Cricket, Tenni-koit, Thang-ta, Wrestling Wushu,Yogasana, Water skiing and Gymnastics are being organised by thesports associations in the current financial year. Mr. Rakesh Kumar,Ms. Sarita and Ms. Sheetal Devi participated in 14th World ParaArchery Championship held at Czeck Republic from 17th to 23rd July2023 and secured 01 Gold and 01 Silver medal.

 

  1. d) At international level, Jammu and Kashmir won 6 Gold, 3 Silver, 4Bronze medals. At national level, the UT won 56 Gold, 47 Silver and49 Bronze medals in this year till December 2023. The UT is emergingas the winter sports capital of the nation. Over 1500 sports persons68from various States and UTs participated in the winter sports 2023held in Jammu and Kashmir.

 

For Sports sector, an allocation of about Rs. 141.80 crore hasbeen made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 whichis Rs. 31.80 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

 

 

22.7 Food and Civil Supplies:

 

  1. a) By leveraging technology, the Department enhanced its logistics andefficiency in the entire supply chain of food supply. All thebeneficiaries across the UT received their ration through Point of Sale(PoS) machines. The department has given focused attention fortracking of Supply Chain Management and so far 95% achievementhas been registered. This digitization of stores has lowered the needof food grain inventory.

 

 

For Food and Civil Supplies sector, an allocation of about Rs. 313crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year2024-25.

 

  1. Infrastructure Sector

 

23.1 Power Development:

 

  1. a) Ongoing fiscal year has witnessed improvements in electricity lossreduction and increase in revenue generation. Performance targets,as laid out in the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS)Action Plan, are being vigorously pursued. Under RDSS scheme, theDepartment aims to install 7.6 lakh meters in Jammu division and 6.47lakh in Kashmir division.

 

  1. b) The construction of 33 kV Bandipora-Gurez line and 11 kV trunk linesat Gurez / Tulail is under progress. For reliable power supply to Gurez,a new Grid Sub Station (GSS) of 40 MVA capacity along with therequisite 132 KV transmission line is under construction. Undergroundcabling through Z-Mohr Tunnel for providing 24×7 power supply toSonamarg during winters is in process.

 

  1. c) Underground cabling at Nunwan for reliable power supply to HolyCave of Shri Amar Nath Ji was commissioned, charged and functional.At 220/132 KV level, capacity addition of 160 MVA at existing GSSDelina has already been achieved; while as another 160 MVA is likelyto be achieved by March 2024 at new Gas Insolated Grid Sub StationTailbal, Harwan.

 

 

  1. d) At 132/33 KV level, a new GIS has been constructed at Tengora,Srinagar with a capacity addition of 150 MVA. Similarly, another 50MVA capacity addition has been achieved at existing GSS Budgam.276 MVA capacity addition is expected during CFY 2023-24 atexisting GSS’s at 132/33 level.

 

For Power sector, an allocation of about Rs. 1875 crore has beenmade under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 which is Rs.552.61 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

 

23.2 Jal Shakti:

 

  1. a) All the rural households will be provided tap water under Jal JeevanMission (JJM) to ensure 100% universal water coverage to ruralhouseholds. 100% GPS system has been installed in the watertankers instead of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based tankerservice.

 

  1. b) The digitization of consumer records is fully completed. Online billingsystem is now operational in Srinagar and Jammu cities. Option forconsumers to pay their bills through M-Pay Service of the UT Bankshas been enabled. This online billing system is being expanded to allthe consumers.

 

  1. c) Flood Management programme of river Jhelum (Phase-I) is completedand has increased the carrying capacity of Jhelum from 31800 cusecto 41000 cusec at Sangam. This work on comprehensive floodmanagement, in subsequent phases, will further increase the carryingcapacity of Jhelum River. 16 works has been targeted for completion2023-24 resulting in protection of 6500 hectare area.

 

For Jal Shakti Department, an allocation of about Rs. 5038.74crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year2024-25.

 

23.3 Housing and Urban Development:

 

  1. a) Under AMRUT 2.0, UT Water Action Plan (UTWAP) for 153 projectsfor 78 ULBs of UT has been approved by Government of India. Thisincludes 99 projects to provide 2.25 lakh new tap household watersupply connections in urban areas. Under the project Devika, 03 STPshave been completed, commissioned and put on trial run. Besides,house connections and road network are being completed shortly.

 

New projects with STP capacity of 65.33 MLD viz. sewerage schemefor Samba (3.50 MLD), pollution abatement of river Jhelum atAnantnag town zone 2 & 3 (21.03 MLD), sewerage scheme forpollution abatement of Dal-Lake, construction of STP for uncoveredareas around Dal-Lake in Srinagar (30.00 MLD), STP for dry weatherflow discharging into Doodh Ganga Nallah from BaghiMehtab toChadoora (6.0 MLD) and STP for dry weather flow discharging intoDoodh Ganga (4.80 MLD) are underway.

 

  1. b) 23 projects have been undertaken for rejuvenation of water bodieswith allocation of Rs. 6.11 crore. Of these, 12 projects were completed.Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban (PMAY-U), 47,060beneficiaries have been approved. Of these, 42,429 dwelling unitshave been grounded and 20,256 are completed. The Department is inthe process of identification of feasible sites for establishment of“Ladies Haat” and Ladies exclusive markets at Srinagar, Jammu andother major towns.

 

  1. c) Under Smart Cities mission, out of 262 projects, 207 projects at anestimated cost of Rs. 4494 crore have been completed. Further, 55projects with sanctioned cost of Rs. 2721 crore are under execution.Several innovative projects for construction of health centers, ropeway project, auditorium, power sub-stations, Girls hostel,walkways/footpaths, cycle tracks, and parking spaces have beenundertaken. Smart City funding has also promoted development ofgreen spaces, installation of LED street lights, installation of vendingmachines, providing smart classrooms, development of iconic roadsviz. Polo view market and Apsara Road High Street Gole Market area.

 

  1. d) Comprehensive Mobility Plans for both the Capital cities wereformulated. Department is promoting introduction of e-vehicles forreducing the carbon footprint and last mile connectivity for the citizenof Jammu and Srinagar cities. In this endeavor, the projects, likestarting of 200 e-Buses, public bicycle sharing and providing e-Cycleand e-3 wheelers (e-Autos) are being promoted to ensureenvironmentally, socially, and financially sustainable network of publictransport.

 

For Housing and Urban Development Sector, an allocation ofabout Rs. 2329.55 crore has been made under capital expenditurefor the year 2024-25.

 

 

23.4 Roads & Bridges:

 

  1. a) The Department is constructing an average 15 km road length eachday for the past four years. Overall 4500 km of black-topping of roadsis expected to be achieved during 2023-24 under UT and CentralSchemes.

 

 

  1. b) 276 new projects at an estimated cost of Rs. 1292 crore are beingexecuted with funding under NABARD in 2022-23. Further, 183 roadand bridge projects at a cost of Rs 821 crore were sanctioned andtaken up in 2023-24 under NABARD funding to improve ruralconnectivity.

 

  1. c) Safety audit of bridges having completed 20 years has beencompleted during 2022-23. Safety audit for the bridges havingcompleted 10 years has been started. 60 sanctioned bridges shall becompleted during 2023-24.

 

For Road and Bridge Sector, an allocation of about Rs. 4108.87crore has been made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 which is Rs. 166 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

 

23.5 Industries and Commerce:

 

  1. a) 46 new Industrial Estates (IEs) have been identified for development.Of these, 15 IE projects have been entrusted to National BuildingsConstruction Corporation (NBCC) and Indian Railway Construction Ltd(IRCON). 04 projects are under execution through Small IndustriesDevelopment Corporation (SIDCO) and Small Scale IndustriesDevelopment Corporation Ltd (SICOP). Further, 06 projects areidentified for funding through SIDBI and 13 are under process ofassigning to CPWD.

 

  1. b) Industrial Estate (IE) Sempora, IE RakhGund Aksha, Bemina and IELelhar Pulwama have been declared as Medicity. Online applicationsfrom the aspiring entrepreneurs/ applicants for allotment of land in theMedicities of Kashmir Division are being received. 1088 units havebeen sanctioned involving margin money of Rs. 29 crore havingemployment potential of 6528 under Jammu and Kashmir RuralEmployment Generation Programme (JKREGP).

 

  1. c) Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) has organized variousE-commerce on-boarding drives like GeM on-boarding, ONDC,Flipkart etc. in all the districts of Jammu and Kashmir. J&K TPO hasorganized 14 GeM on- boarding drives and 08 on-boarding drives withmajor E-commerce platforms. J&K TPO aims to onboard over 300MSMEs on various e-commerce platforms. Samadhaan 2.0 is beingimplemented. The portal provides an interface to petitioners fordelayed payments.

 

  1. d) During the current financial year, 24 exhibitions have been conducted.TPO has organized/ participated in 07 major events. 109entrepreneurship development/ orientation/ awareness programmeswere conducted. 105 new start-ups were registered and 7 startupswere assisted in raising finance. Basohli painting, Basohli pashminaand Rajouri chikriwood have been GI tagged during 2023-24.

 

For Industries and Commerce Sector, an allocation of about Rs.529.62 crore has been made under capital expenditure for theyear 2024-25 which is Rs.133.35 crore more than revisedallocation of 2023-24.

 

 

23.6 Science & Technology:

 

  1. a) Under PM Kusum scheme, 827 Solar Agriculture pumps have beeninstalled. 955 households have been solarized in Jammu with acumulative capacity of 5771 KW. 1102 households have beensolarized under the project with a cumulative capacity of 5593 KW.The department is launching a massive drive to solarize all theGovernment buildings through innovative project structuring.

 

 

  1. b) Energy Bhawan at Channi Himmat, Jammu is likely to be completedby March 2024. Science, Technology and Innovation Council hasinitiated the process for establishment of Innovation disseminationcenter at Lal Mandi, Srinagar. The site at Chowadi, Jammu has beenidentified for establishment of Regional Science Centre, Jammu.

 

For Science & Technology Sector, an allocation of about Rs.159.50 crore has been made under capital expenditure for theyear 2024-25 which is Rs. 71.50 crore more than revisedallocation of 2023-24.

 

 

23.7 Transport:

 

  1. a) The Motor Vehicle Scrapping policy is being finalized. Motor VehicleAggregator Rules-2023 have been notified and Aggregator Licenseshave been issued to OLA, Uber, AlaCab, NOVA etc. Their serviceshave also been started in Jammu and Srinagar cities. Incentives havebeen kept for aggregators, aggregating motor vehicles with womendrivers.

 

  1. b) Intelligent Transport Management System (ITMS) has beenintroduced by J&K Road Transport Corporation and online ticketingfacility is available on major routes. The Department is working oncommissioning the automated driving testing facility in partnershipmode.

 

For Transport Sector, an allocation of about Rs. 22 crore hasbeen made under capital expenditure for the year 2024-25 whichis Rs. 8.11 crore more than revised allocation of 2023-24.

 

24 Internal Security

 

 

  1. a) Construction of 42 new Border Police Posts (BPPs) in the borderdistricts of the UT is sanctioned by the Central Government tostrengthen the anti-infiltration grid in the UT. Work has been started at21 locations and 30% of the works are completed with an expenditureof Rs. 119.83 lakh. Further, 14 Jails have been identified forconstruction and erection of dominant towers/jammers.

 

  1. b) Construction of hostel for families of Police Martyrs at Indra Nagar,Srinagar and Construction of Hostel for families of Police Martyrs atAssarwan, Bhalwal Jammu at an estimated cost of Rs. 20.60 crorehas been approved. Narcotic Laboratory at FSL, Srinagar andToxicology and Narcotics Laboratory at FSL, Jammu are beingconstructed. Physics and Ballistics Division is being established atFSL, Srinagar. CCTV surveillance system for police stations andpolice posts is under advanced stages of implementation.

 

  1. c) Work on Integrated network of GIS-based CCTV cameras in theidentified sites of 17 districts of Jammu and Kashmir is underway forensuring safety and security for the UT’s citizens. The project’simplementation will help in the identification and nabbing of antinational elements and criminals, provide prior information on anyevent or incident, and enable easy and effective communication withlaw enforcement and other external agencies.

 

For Security Related Activities, an allocation of Rs 1284.45 crorehas been made for the year 2024-25 under revenue and capitalexpenditure.

 

 

25 Supplementary Grant for the current financial year 2023-24:

 

  1. a) The original grant for the financial year 2023-24 was Rs 1,18,500crore. The revised estimates for 2023-24 are of the order ofRs.1,08,197 crore, excluding ways & means advance provisions. Theexpected revenue receipts are Rs. 84,603 crore and capital receiptsare Rs.23, 594 crore. Similarly, the revenue expenditure is estimatedto be Rs.76,155 crore and capital expenditure to be Rs. 32,042 crore.

 

  1. b) During the course of year from 1st April, 2023 to 31st March, 2024 anamount of Rs 8,712.8972 crore shall be withdrawn in excess of grantin respect of Demand No. 06 – Power Department, 08 – FinanceDepartment, 24-Hospitality and Protocol and 36 – CooperativeDepartment out of the Consolidated Fund of the UT of Jammu andKashmir to defray expenses on services and purposes required duringthe period. This had been largely necessitated due to expensesrelated to power purchase (Power Department), pension, interestpayment, repayment of debt (Finance Department), land purchase atDwarka, New Delhi (Hospitality and Protocol Department) and newscheme of assistance to primary agricultural credit societies (PACS) inCooperative Department

 

  1. c) Accordingly, the Supplementary Jammu and Kashmir AppropriationBill No (01) is proposed to be presented to authorize payment andappropriation of Rs. 8,712.8972 crore from and out of theConsolidated Fund of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir for the periodw.e.f. 1st April, 2023 to 31st March, 2024.

 

 

  1. Vote on Account 2024-25 for Union Territory of Jammu andKashmir:

 

 

  1. a) The total budget estimates for the fiscal 2024-25 are Rs 1,18,728crore, excluding the provision for ways and means advances. Theexpected revenue receipts are Rs. 97,861 crore and capital receiptsare Rs. 20,867 crore. Similarly, the revenue expenditure is estimatedto be Rs. 80,162 crore and capital expenditure to be Rs. 38,566 crore.

 

 

  1. b) The total receipts in respect of the proposed “Vote on Account” for2024-25 are estimated at Rs 59,364 crore, excluding the provision forways and means advances of Rs 16,568 crore. These receipts inrespect of the proposed “Vote on Account” for 2024-25 includeRs. 48,930 crore as revenue receipts and Rs. 10,434 crore as capitalreceipts. The own revenues both tax and non tax are estimated to beRs. 15,158 crore. In addition to this, Rs 18,639 crore is to flow ascentral assistance and Rs. 8424 crore as CSS/ PMDP to the UT ofJammu and Kashmir.

 

  1. c) The total gross receipts in respect of proposed “Vote on Account” for2024-25 are estimated at Rs 75,932 crore, including the provision forways and means advances of Rs 16,568 crore. Given these receipts,the total gross expenditure is estimated to be Rs 75,932 crore. Afterexcluding the provision for ways and means advances, the total netexpenditure is estimated to be Rs 59,364 crore. This includes theestimated capital expenditure of Rs 19,283 crore and the estimatedrevenue expenditure Rs 40,081 crore.

 

 

  1. d) Accordingly, the Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill No (02) inrespect of “Vote on Account” is proposed to be presented to authorizepayment and appropriation of Rs 75931.9699 crore from and out ofthe Consolidated Fund of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir.

 

 

  1. Fiscal Indicators:

 

 

  1. a) The tax/GDP ratio is projected at 7.84 percent for 2024-25 which ishigher than the previous year of 6.56 %.(b) Debt/GDP ratio for 2024-25 is 51 %.(c) GDP for the year 2024-25 has been projected at Rs. 2,63,399 crorewhich shows a growth of 7.5 % over the previous year.

 

  1. Mr. Speaker Sir, with these words, I commend the SupplementaryBudget (for 01.04.2023 to 31.03.2024), and “Vote on Account” 2024-25 ofthe UT of Jammu & Kashmir to this august House for further consideration.

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