Jammu, February 25: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah chaired a series of pre-budget meetings at the Civil Secretariat, engaging with key government departments to finalise budget proposals ahead of the scheduled March 7 presentation. These discussions aimed to align sectoral priorities with the government’s broader development agenda
The consultations focused on optimising budgetary allocations to drive infrastructure development, social welfare programs, and service delivery improvements. Chief Minister Abdullah emphasised the importance of a pragmatic and growth-oriented budget that meets public aspirations while strengthening critical sectors of the economy. He reiterated the government’s commitment to inclusive development, transparent governance, and efficient resource utilisation.
The deliberations covered Capital Expenditure (CapEx) and Revenue Expenditure (RevEx), with a focus on prioritising flagship projects, expediting ongoing initiatives, and ensuring timely execution of development schemes. The Chief Minister instructed departments to ensure that budgetary allocations lead to measurable outcomes and impactful progress.
As part of the budget preparation process, Chief Minister Abdullah has already held extensive consultations with public representatives from all 20 districts, including DDC chairpersons and MLAs. Additionally, interactions have taken place with stakeholders from industry, trade, tourism, academia, agriculture, horticulture, sports, and other key sectors to incorporate diverse perspectives into the budget framework.
With today’s deliberations covering eight major departments, the pre-budget exercise is in full swing. The Chief Minister will continue holding meetings in the coming days to gather further inputs and finalise budgetary allocations.
Holding the Finance portfolio, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is personally overseeing the budget preparation process to ensure that the upcoming budget reflects the government’s vision for a progressive and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir.
The Jammu and Kashmir Budget 2024-25 is set to be presented in the Legislative Assembly on March 7, during the Budget Session commencing from March 3.