Central grants remain same for J&K, Ladakh for 2nd year in row
With no change in central grant for two newly created Union Territories, the Union Finance Nirmala Sitharaman has granted Rs 35,581.44 crores for J&K for Jammu and Kashmir while Rs 5958 crore to Ladakh for next fiscal 2023-2024 while present budget in parliament on Wednesday.
The central grants announced for both Union Territories by the Union Finance Minister in Parliament were exactly same as granted to both Union Territories for ongoing financial year 2022-23.
The document further revealed that the Union Minister granted Rs 35,581.44 crore to Jammu and Kashmir as part of the Central Government’s assistance, grants and loans for the next financial year of 2023-24.
Sitharaman kept a provision of Rs 8 crore Package for Special Category States of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Rs. 50 crore for Industrial Development Scheme 2017 for Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh and Rs 150 crore for Industrial Development Scheme of J&K.
She also kept a sperate grants of Rs 150 crore for Industrial Development of UT of Jammu and Kashmir.
Bulk of the funds Rs 33923 crore in the budget for Jammu and Kashmir is under the Central assistance.
A sum of Rs 500 cr kept f under Jhelum &Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP), which is an EAP assisted by a credit of $250 mn from the World Bank.
Similarly, Finance Minister announced Rs 5958 crore including tribal area component of Rs 3487.56 as the Central Government’s assistance to the Union Territory of Ladakh for next financial year of 2023- 24.
Out of total Central grants of Rs 5958 crore for the Union Territory of Ladakh for 2023- 24, Rs 4173.31 crore are under Other Central Sector Expenditure and Rs 1784.69 crore under Establishment Expenditure of the Centre.
In the Tribal Area Component, Ladakh will get Rs 597.73crore as Revenue Expenditure and Rs 2889.83 crore as Capital Expenditure totalling Rs 3487.56crore.
Under Scheme of Union Territory, Ladakh has been sanctioned Rs 561 crore including Rs 300.91 as Revenue expenditure and Rs 260.09 crore as Capital expenditure.
In Other Central Expenditure, Ladakh will be entitled to Rs 124.75 crore as Revenue Expenditure while there is no mention of Capital Expenditure
Rs 70.6 crore have been allocated to Ladakh under Urban Development and Assistant to Panchayats.
The UT gets Rs 14.94 crore for Anganwadi Centres. it has been allocated Rs 2.70 crore for Women in Distress and Rs 70 lakh for Assistance for Marriage Scheme. Ladakh has been allocated Rs 15 crore for University of Ladakh, Rs 10.5 crore for Municipal Committees of Leh and Kargil and Rs 82 Lakhs for Legal Aid Service Authority.
The UT has been allocated Rs 17.77 crore for Assistant to MNC/MNC Council, Rs 5.79 crore for Gram Panchayats, Rs 5.79 crore for Grants to Academy of Art, Culture and Languages Kargil, Rs 6.20 crore as Grants to Academy of Art, Culture and Languages, Leh, Rs 50 Lakh for Ladakh Skill Development, Rs 2.65 crore for Legal Aid Service Authority, Rs 5 lakh for Lieutenant Governor’s Secretariat, Rs 6.20 crore for Panchayat Samiti, Rs .05 crore for Social Security and Welfare and Rs 1 crore for Special Development Package.
As Ladakh is Union Territory without Legislature, it’s all grants are released by the Central Government after finalization by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
