By: Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Dec 06: Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory’s annual budget would be presented in the parliament for the fourth consecutive year.
Highly placed sources in the Government of India told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the Union Finance Ministry has asked the Ministry of Home Affairs to submit Jammu & Kashmir’s budget proposals for the next fiscal. “We have requested the MHA to submit J&K’s budget for 2023- 24 for seeking its approval from the Parliament,” a senior official in the Union Finance Ministry told KNO.
He said the Parliament has to approve J&K’s budget before March 31, 2023.
“J&K is under the President’s rule from June 20, 2018 and there is unlikely to be any change in the current status till March 31, 2023. So we have asked the MHA to submit the UT’s budget proposals for the next fiscal,” he said.
He said J&K’s budget is expected to be presented in the parliament in the month of March 2023.
This will be the fourth t budget of Jammu and Kashmir which will be presented in the Parliament in the absence of the Legislative Assembly in the Union Territory. Jammu & Kashmir is without an elected government since June 19, 2018 after BJP withdrew support to Mehbooba Mufti-led government, citing a “deteriorating” security situation in the erstwhile state.
The budget for 2019-20 was approved by the Governor as head of the State Administrative Council.
After J&K was downgraded into a UT in October 2019, its all budgets were presented in the Parliament due to the absence of an elected Government in UT—(KNO)