Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha chaired a high-level meeting today at the Civil Secretariat to review the budgetary expenditure in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting, attended by Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary for Forests Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary of the Finance Department Santosh D Vaidya, along with Administrative Secretaries and senior officials, focused on assessing the department-wise progress achieved in the Financial Year 2023-24.
Addressing the gathering, Lt Governor Sinha emphasized the importance of fully utilizing the funds allocated under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) and Capital Expenditure (Capex). He stressed the significance of prudent financial management and highlighted the remarkable achievement of 102 percent growth in capital expenditure in 2023-24 compared to 2018-19.
“We have also registered an impressive increase in Excise and other Tax & non-tax Revenue. These are the indicators of a streamlined financial prudence system in place in the Union Territory,” he stated.
Lt Governor Sinha expressed satisfaction with the progress, noting that Jammu and Kashmir is scaling greater heights with a focus on massive infrastructure development to meet the aspirations of its people and foster self-reliance. He urged Administrative Secretaries and senior officials to ensure the timely submission of Utilization Certificates and directed departments to explore avenues for enhancing revenue realization while adhering to austerity measures to streamline expenditure.
Furthermore, Lt Governor Sinha emphasized the importance of developing an integrated procurement system involving Self Help Groups and Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) across all departments.
In a parallel directive, Administrative Secretaries and senior officials from the Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Department, and Public Works Department (R&B) were tasked with closely monitoring the progress on transit accommodations for employees under the Prime Minister’s Package.
The meeting underscored the commitment of the administration to efficient financial management and infrastructure development for the holistic progress of Jammu and Kashmir.