SRINAGAR: Education Minister Sakina Itoo on Monday welcomed Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address to the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, describing it as a positive step in raising public awareness. She said the LG’s speech detailed recent government initiatives, helping citizens understand policies and building trust.
However, commenting on the Union Budget presented on February 1, Itoo said allocations for Jammu and Kashmir were insufficient to meet urgent needs. She urged that budgets focus on innovative measures and provide special attention to Union Territories.
The minister highlighted rising unemployment in the region, now the second highest in the country, warning that lack of jobs was driving youth towards drug abuse. She also flagged the deteriorating healthcare system, citing shortages of hospitals, doctors, and medical equipment, alongside a rise in cancer cases, and called for urgent investment in health infrastructure.
Itoo further raised concerns over farmers’ distress, noting repeated crop losses and demanding a one-time waiver of Kisan Credit Card (KCC) loans to relieve struggling cultivators.
While acknowledging some positive aspects of the budget, she concluded that it fell short of addressing Jammu and Kashmir’s critical challenges in employment, healthcare, and agriculture.
