Jammu, February 19:
Former Finance Minister and Udhampur MLA Pawan Kumar Gupta has levelled serious allegations against Chief Minister and Finance Minister Omar Abdullah, claiming that the recently presented Jammu and Kashmir budget contains incorrect figures, discriminates against the Jammu region, and shifts excessive financial control to bureaucrats instead of elected representatives.
Speaking to the Chief Editor of The Strong Signal, Mohd Khaliq, Gupta said the budget raises major logical and financial concerns, particularly regarding the sharp increase in revenue expenditure.
He pointed out that key components of revenue expenditure, such as salaries and pensions, are fixed obligations and do not rise drastically under normal circumstances. He questioned the reason behind the significant increase and asked where the additional funds are being allocated.
Gupta further alleged that the government has deviated from the standard budget practice of clearly specifying scheme-wise allocations.
“Normally, the budget explains how much money is allocated to each scheme, and grants are released accordingly. But in this budget, funds are being given in lump sum, and complete control has been handed over to Commissioner Secretaries,” he said.
He warned that this move removes financial oversight from elected representatives.
“No Member of the Legislative Assembly has control over these funds. This creates a serious risk of misuse, because Commissioner Secretaries will decide how much to give and to whom,” Gupta alleged.
He said the move undermines transparency and accountability within the democratic system.
Opposition and Even Government MLAs Unable to Track Spending
Gupta told The Strong Signal that due to lump-sum allocations, neither opposition MLAs nor ruling party MLAs would be able to track how much money is being spent and where.
“The opposition will not be able to track scheme-wise grants, and even their own MLAs will not know where funds are being used. This raises a very big question about transparency,” he said.
Questions Raised About Government Priorities
Gupta also questioned whether the government is working for the people or only for its political establishment.
He alleged that while overall expenditure appears to be rising, vulnerable sections such as daily wagers have not been given dedicated financial relief in the budget.
Discrimination Against Jammu Alleged
Gupta claimed that the financial structure of the budget indicates discrimination against the Jammu region and called for greater transparency and legislative oversight.
Government Yet to Respond
There has been no official response from Chief Minister Omar Abdullah or the Finance Department regarding these allegations.
The issue is expected to trigger intense political debate in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in the coming days.
