Jammu, Feb 06: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah continued his pre-budget consultations with key stakeholders, underscoring the importance of feedback from public representatives, who remain directly connected with the people, for the second consecutive day, on Thursday.
As part of this process, the Chief Minister held a series of consultative meetings with District Development Council (DDC) Chairpersons and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from the Baramulla, Udhampur, Kulgam, and Ramban districts.
Addressing the participants, the Chief Minister reiterated the government’s commitment to an inclusive budget-making process. “The Assembly may pass the budget, but it should not be framed in isolation. Our goal is to ensure that the proposals of people’s representatives, including DDC Chairpersons and MLAs, are considered, and their needs and aspirations are reflected in the budget,” he stated.
He further emphasized that such consultations provide valuable insight into ground realities, enabling the government to formulate policies that effectively address public concerns. “These discussions will not only aid in short-term budget planning but also contribute to long-term policy formulation, ensuring that governance priorities align with the people’s needs,” he added.
During the meeting, the DDC Chairpersons and MLAs presented the demands they prioritized for their respective districts. Key issues and demands raised included improved roads, healthcare infrastructure, power supply, rural development, water supply, education, sports facilities, recruitment, irrigation and flood control, and animal husbandry.
Additional concerns raised included urban development, forest clearances, drug-related issues, tourism promotion, solid and liquid waste management, parking facilities, and new development projects.
MLAs also emphasized the need for the effective implementation of water supply schemes in main towns under AMRUT 2.0 and requested resolution of issues in the tendering process to ensure the optimal utilization of funds under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM).
Other proposed issues included the upgradation of power infrastructure, solid waste management, providing critical staff to hospitals and Primary Health Centres (PHCs), physical audits of school building infrastructure, Wullar Lake conservation, flood protection works, the establishment of fire service stations in rural areas, decongestion of district headquarters, parking facilities, and the construction of mini-secretariat buildings in districts and sub-districts.
The meeting was attended both in person and virtually by Ministers Sakina Itoo (representing D.H Pora), Javed Ahmad Dar (representing the Rafiabad Assembly Constituency), and Advisor to the Chief Minister, Nasir Aslam Wani. Also present were Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Finance Santosh D. Vaidya, Director General of Budget, Director General Expenditure Division-I, along with MLAs, DDC Chairpersons, and Deputy Commissioners from the respective districts.
The Chief Minister thanked the public representatives for their suggestions and insights, emphasizing that the primary objective of these meetings is to formulate a people-centric budget by incorporating their valuable input and listening to their feedback.
On Wednesday, as part of the ongoing consultations, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had held similar meetings with public representatives from the Anantnag, Kathua, Samba, and Budgam districts, during which various development projects and budgetary requirements were discussed.
