J&K Capex Up 102% in 2023-24: LG Sinha

Jammu, Mar 1 (PTI) Capital expenditure in Jammu and Kashmir has achieved a 102 per cent growth in 2023-24 compared to 2018-19, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha said on Friday.

Sinha was speaking at a review meeting on budgetary expenditure at the civil secretariat here.

The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary Forests Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary, Finance department, Santosh D Vaidya, administrative secretaries and senior officials, an official spokesman said.

The Lt Governor took appraisal of the department-wise progress achieved in the financial year 2023-24 and called upon the officials for 100 per cent utilization of funds available under Centrally Sponsored Schemes and Capex.

“It is heartening to see that capital expenditure has achieved 102 per cent growth in 2023-24 as compared to 2018-19. We have also registered an impressive increase in excise and other tax and non-tax revenue. These are the indicators of a streamlined financial prudence system in place in the Union Territory,” he said.

Sinha said J&K is touching greater heights today as the focus on massive infrastructure development is towards meeting the aspirations of people and building ‘Aatm-Nirbhar' J&K.

He asked the administrative secretaries and senior officials to ensure the timely submission of utilization certificates.

The Lt Governor directed the departments to explore all possibilities to further improve revenue realization and follow the instructions of the administration to adhere to the austerity measures to cut the expenditure.

An integrated system should also be developed by all the departments for procurement of products from self-help groups and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), he said.

On the sidelines of the meeting, the Lt Governor directed the administrative secretaries and senior officials of the disaster management, relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction department and public works department (Roads & Building) to closely monitor the progress on transit accommodations for prime minister package employees.

Nearly 4000 Kashmiri migrant pandits are working in different departments in Kashmir after their selection under PM employment package which has two major components – one pertaining to the provision of 6000 jobs for the community youth and another pertaining to the provision of 6000 accommodation units for the recruited employees.