Jammu, Feb 1: The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) today strongly criticised the Union Budget 2026–27, terming the allocation of ₹43,290.29 crore for Jammu and Kashmir as another exercise in headline management rather than meaningful economic empowerment.
Reacting to the budget figures, former legislator and PDP spokesperson Adv. Firdous Tak said that the allocation, though appearing substantial, is overwhelmingly composed of routine central assistance and high security related expenditures rather than genuine investment aimed at transforming the Union Territory’s economic landscape.
“The budget allocation also stands in clear contradiction to what the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Mr Omar Abdullah, has been telling the people,” he said, adding, “On the one hand, Mr Abdullah repeatedly boasts about the unprecedented support he claims to be receiving from the Union Government, but on the other, the current allocation tells an entirely different story. The figures reflect neither special consideration nor a transformative push for Jammu and Kashmir—only routine deficit support dressed up as development.”
“Out of the total ₹43,290.29 crore, nearly ₹42,650 crore is central assistance meant largely to cover the UT’s revenue deficit. This is not a growth-oriented package but a continuation of dependency, where J&K is kept afloat through grants instead of being empowered through fiscal autonomy and productive investment,” Tak said.
The PDP leader pointed out that the budget reflects only a marginal increase over the previous year’s revised estimates, and fails to match even earlier expenditure levels, exposing the government’s lack of seriousness in addressing the deep structural challenges facing Jammu and Kashmir.
Tak expressed concern over the negligible capital component in the budget, noting that only ₹101 crore has been earmarked for capital expenditure.
“How can an economy recover or infrastructure expand when capital investment is reduced to symbolic amounts? J&K requires large-scale investment in roads, power, healthcare, education, and industrial revival, not token figures that barely scratch the surface,” he said.
“Equally concerning is the absence of any serious package for reviving local industries, supporting farmers, or addressing the growing unemployment crisis among J&K’s youth,” Tak said. “Small businesses and traditional sectors remain stagnant, farmers and horticulturists face rising costs and uncertainty, and educated youth continue to struggle for jobs and opportunities. A region cannot be sustained on deficit grants and tourism slogans alone.”
While the budget speaks of initiatives like “ecologically sustainable mountain trails,” PDP termed such announcements disconnected from ground realities.
“Tourism slogans cannot compensate for the absence of reliable roads, electricity, healthcare, and job security. Seasonal tourism crumbs cannot replace a comprehensive economic vision,” Tak remarked.
Tak said the budget mirrors the broader reality of governance in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, grand announcements with little delivery.
“Our people endure daily hardships including unemployment, power outages, weak healthcare systems, and shrinking opportunities While Delhi continues to sell dreams of ‘Developed India 2047’ for J&K, this remains hollow rhetoric,” he said.
The PDP urged the Centre to move beyond cosmetic allocations and engage seriously with the aspirations of the people, including restoration of special status, statehood, equitable resource distribution, and special economic packages for neglected sub-regions.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve dignity, not dependency; substantive growth, not symbolic gestures. Until budgets reflect real priorities and translate into action on the ground, they will remain disconnected numbers, far removed from the realities of our citizens,” Tak concluded.
