Jammu, January 21: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday held the second day of pre-budget consultations with several key departments to review priorities, sectoral requirements and development needs ahead of the upcoming Budget Session of the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, scheduled to begin on February 2.
The Chief Minister, who also holds the Finance portfolio, chaired detailed discussions with the departments of Social Welfare, Health and Medical Education, School Education, Higher Education, Public Works (Roads and Buildings), Mining, Industries and Commerce, and Labour.
The meetings were attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary and Minister for Health and Medical Education, Social Welfare, School Education and Higher Education, Sakina Itoo. Senior officials, including Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Additional Chief Secretary PWD Anil Kumar Singh, Principal Secretary Finance Santosh D. Vaidya, and administrative secretaries of the concerned departments, were also present.
During the deliberations, the Chief Minister reviewed sector-wise progress, ongoing projects, budget utilisation and future requirements. He stressed the importance of realistic and outcome-oriented budgeting to ensure that public funds are channelled towards priority sectors with a direct impact on people’s lives.
Emphasising a people-centric and performance-driven approach, Omar Abdullah said the upcoming budget should focus on strengthening healthcare and education infrastructure, expanding social security coverage, improving road connectivity, promoting industrial growth and creating employment opportunities for youth.
He also underlined the need for timely completion of projects, transparency in execution and efficient service delivery. The Chief Minister said the budget must reflect the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, with an emphasis on inclusive growth, balanced regional development and sustainable economic progress.
He directed departments to submit well-structured, need-based proposals aligned with the government’s development roadmap and fiscal discipline. The pre-budget consultation process, which began on January 20, will conclude on January 22 with meetings involving the remaining departments.
