JK gets Rs 30757 Cr central grant
Finance Minister announces gas pipeline project, Lt Guv says thank you
Srinagar: The Union Government on Monday proposed Rs 30757 crore in the Budget as central grant for Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory for the next financial year.
The budget unveiled by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Lok Sabha reveals that Rs 30757 crore have been allocated as grant for J&K Union Territory for 2021-22.
The allocation for Jammu & Kashmir stands parallel to the amount proposed in the last Union Budget as central grant.
An official said that there is unlikely no increase in the budget of J&K UT which will be presented by the Union Finance Minister later this month or next month in Lok Sabha.
“Since there has been no enhancement in J&K’s grant, there won’t be any increase in the UT’s budget which will be unveiled in the Parliament for the second consecutive year in absence of Legislative Assembly in the former state,” he said.
In March this year, the Government of India presented budget of Rs one lakh crore for Jammu and Kashmir for 2020-21.
Meanwhile, in her budget speech the union Finance Minister also announced that a gas pipeline project will be taken up in Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha lauded the Central Government for announcing the project.
“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modiji and Union Home Minister Amit Shahji for announcing a new gas pipeline project for the development of Jammu and Kashmir in Budget 2021. I congratulate Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharamanji for an inclusive and growth-oriented historic budget for Aatmanirbhar Bharat,” said Sinha on Twitter.
Notably, the Central government has allocated Rs 5958 crore as budget for the newly carved out Union Territory of Ladakh.
The capital expenditure for two- district UT is pegged at Rs 3626 crore and revenue expenditure is estimated at 2331 crore.
In her budget speech, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced to set-up Central University in Leh. “For accessible higher education in Ladakh, I propose to set up a Central University in Leh,” she said.
