Small, hilly district MLAs set to get Rs 45-50 cr, higher than big distts

JAMMU, Feb 17: As per new proposal by the Government asking legislators to identify works to be done in their constituencies in next financial year of 2025-26, some of the MLAs might get around Rs 45-50 crore as against the earlier expectations of Rs 30 crore while the District Development Councils (DDCs) have also sought some amount from the UT capex budget for development.

However, with two tiers of Panchayati Raj System including Panchayats and Block Development Councils (BDCs) besides the Urban Local Bodies now non-existent, their budgets are likely to be kept at the disposal of Administrators though some of the DDC chairpersons have demanded that they should be given powers to formulate plans of Panchayats and BDCs till elections are held to these two bodies.

Official sources told the Excelsior that the MLAs in hilly and small districts are expected to get around Rs 45-50 crore worth development works in their constituencies which will be executed by the Government after identification by the concerned legislator. However, in big districts like Jammu, the MLAs may end up with getting Rs 30-32 crore.J

As reported earlier, the legislators will only identify the works to be executed in their constituencies for the next financial year while the works will be done by the concerned departments after following proper procedure and guidelines laid down by the Government. This amount will have nothing to do with the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) with the MLAs will get from next financial year after presentation of budget which they can spend on their own as per the fixed guidelines.

“In Jammu region, the MLAs in small districts like Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban and Reasi besides some other constituencies, are expected to get around Rs 45-50 crore because of less Assembly constituencies. But in Jammu district which has 11 MLAs, the funds are expected to be the tune of Rs 30-32 crore,” the sources said but added that cost of construction is also much higher in the hilly areas as compared to plains like Jammu and Samba districts.

The sources pointed out that this is for the first time when the MLAs irrespective of their party affiliations have been asked by the Government to identify development works in their constituencies to be undertaken in the financial year of particular amount.

This will ensure MLAs say in development of his constituency, they said, adding the amount will have the backing of UT’s capex budget.

Worthwhile to mention here that Jammu is the biggest district in the region in terms of Assembly constituencies with 11 MLAs followed by Kathua six, Rajouri five, Udhampur, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Samba and Poonch three each; and Ramban district having two Assembly seats.

As far as the BDCs, Panchayats and Municipalities are concerned, their budget will be spent through the Block Development Officers (BDOs) or those officers, who have been designated as Administrators by the Government in the absence of elections.

Some of the DDC chairpersons during their budgetary meetings with Chief Minister Omar Abdullah have raised the demand that the DDCs should be allowed to formulate schemes for the Panchayats and BDCs till elections are held to them. This demand may not find favour with the Government.

The DDCs could get some amount from UT capex budget for development works as demanded by some of the Chairpersons but a decision on this is yet to be taken by the Government. The DDCs get their budget from district capex.

Sources clarified that the CDF of the MLAs will remain untouched from the new proposal of identification of priority works by the legislators.

When the last Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir was dissolved in 2018, the MLAs had annual CDF of Rs 3 crore. The details about CDF and its guidelines are expected to be announced by the Government in the budget which will be presented by the Chief Minister in the Assembly on March 7.

“The MLAs have discretion over spending the CDF after following guidelines released by the Government,” the sources pointed out.