Govt releases first CDF to J&K MLAs

JAMMU, June 10: After a delay of over nine months, all newly elected MLAs of the Union Territory (UT) of Jammu and Kashmir have finally received the first installment of their Constituency Development Fund (CDF), amounting to ₹3 crore each, for undertaking development works in their respective constituencies.
The funds were disbursed nearly nine months after the formation of the UT’s first elected government, led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, which was sworn in last October.
However, the allocated amount is ₹1 crore less than what MLAs in the erstwhile State of J&K used to receive. Previously, each MLA was entitled to ₹4 crore annually as CDF, but under the new UT arrangement, the amount has been revised to ₹3 crore, reliable sources confirmed.
“We have received an amount of ₹3 crore as CDF from the government,” BJP MLA and the party’s general secretary, Yudhvir Sethi, told Rising Kashmir.
The delay was reportedly due to the complexities involved in transitioning from state to UT status. Government officials studied the CDF allocation models of other Union Territories before deciding on the new structure for J&K.
“There is a significant difference in how CDFs are allocated to MLAs in States versus Union Territories. After a detailed review and in consideration of national norms for UTs, it was decided to disburse ₹3 crore as the first installment,” said a senior government official.
Jammu and Kashmir now has 90 MLAs following the delimitation process, an increase from the 87 seats in the erstwhile state.