Home Deptt releases series of guidelines on Police budget, IFA gets major role

JAMMU, Apr 15: The Home Department of Jammu and Kashmir Government has issued series of instructions to streamline budgetary and financial management practices in line with the Government norms for Jammu and Kashmir Police and other wings of the Department, for the financial year 2025-26.

One of the significant guidelines said the current practice of high-frequency and/or case-by-case budget release shall be discontinued. The Internal Financial Advisor (IFA) has got crucial role in release of budgetary allocations.

Besides Jammu and Kashmir Police, Prisons Department, Prosecution, Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL), Home Guards/Civil Defence/State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services and Sainik Welfare are part of the Home Department among others.

The J&K Home Department became part of budgetary framework of the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) last year. And in order to streamline the budgetary and financial management practices in line with the Union Government norms, the instructions have been issued for implementation with effect from the financial year 2025-26.

“Budget releases for the J&K Home Department shall be usually made on quarterly basis, based on previous expenditure trends and actual requirements. The current practice of high-frequency and/or case-by-case budget releases shall be discontinued,” the Home Department guidelines stated.

It said all monthly and quarterly expenditure limits issued by the Union Ministry of Finance and communicated through the Internal Financial Advisor (IFA) shall be strictly adhere to by all the concerned authorities.

“The budgetary and financial management of Jammu and Kashmir Home Department shall continue to be conducted in consultation with the IFA to ensure compliance with financial regulations and fiscal discipline,” the fresh guidelines read.

As per the latest instructions and guidelines, all budgetary and financial management functions at the Head of Department (HoD) level, shall be carried out in consultation with the IFA.

The new directions said the existing finance and budgeting structure shall continue to serve the HoDs.
“Where financial powers are delegated to HoDs, they shall be exercised in consultation with IFA while granting administrative approval and subsequent expenditure sanction before utilization of funds,” the guidelines read.

As far as grants to Jammu and Kashmir Police which falls under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs are concerned, they were reduced by Rs 464 crore for 2025-26 in comparison to budgetary estimates of 2024-25 in the budget presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in the Parliament on February 1.

Jammu and Kashmir Police was accorded Rs 9789.42 crore budget during 2024-25 in the budgetary estimates including Rs 9046.17 crore revenue budget and Rs 743.25 crore capital expenditure. For 2025-26, JKP was given Rs 9325.73 crore including Rs 8897.72 crore revenue budget and Rs 428.01 crore capital expenditure.

The JKP budget is around Rs 464 crore less for 2025-26 taking into account the budgetary proposals of 2024-25. However, in the revised estimates of 2024-25, the budget had been reduced to Rs 8665.94 crore including Rs 8420.71 crore revenue budget and Rs 245.23 crore capital expenditure.

Jammu and Kashmir Police has been in the forefront of fighting terrorists in the UT along with Army and paramilitary forces.

Since 2024-25, the J&K Police’s budget has been part of the Union Budget.