07/10/2025
Omar Abdullah Reviews CAPEX & CDF Utilization
Calls for Accelerated Development and Fiscal Discipline
Srinagar, October 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today chaired a high-level meeting in Srinagar to review the implementation of the CAPEX budget and the progress of works under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) for the financial year 2025–26. The meeting focused on expediting project ex*****on, ensuring timely fund utilization, and advancing key fiscal and governance reforms across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javed Ahmed Rana, Javid Ahmed Dar, and Satish Sharma, along with Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretaries of major departments, and senior officers from Finance, Planning, and Expenditure Divisions. Officers from various districts also joined through virtual mode.
During the comprehensive review, the Chief Minister assessed district-wise and department-wise progress under the CAPEX and CDF allocations. Emphasizing urgency, he directed officials to ensure 100% uploading of all works on the BEAMS portal, fast-track administrative approvals, and expedite tendering processes—particularly in view of Kashmir’s limited working season.
He instructed the Finance Department to compile detailed constituency-wise data of MLA-prioritized works and directed all districts to promptly upload and execute CDF projects. “Visible outcomes on the ground are our priority,” Omar Abdullah said, underscoring the need for close coordination between departments and elected representatives.
The Chief Minister also called for greater fiscal prudence, directing departments to enhance revenue realization while curbing avoidable expenditure. “We must spend wisely—boost revenues where possible, avoid wasteful spending, and ensure that every rupee allocated yields meaningful results,” he observed. Ministers were instructed to conduct fortnightly departmental reviews to track fund utilization and expenditure progress.
Earlier, Principal Secretary, Finance, Santosh D. Vaidya, presented a detailed financial overview highlighting the current expenditure trends, sectoral allocations, and progress under the UT and District CAPEX budgets. He also briefed on ongoing fiscal reforms, including the Special Assistance for Capital Investment (SASCI) programme and Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS).
The Chief Minister issued clear directions to ensure that the stipulated expenditure milestones under the SASCI scheme are achieved by December 2025 and March 2026 to retain central assistance. He also directed ministers to monitor SASCI projects on a fortnightly basis.
Calling for a visible impact of developmental spending, Omar Abdullah urged completion of all road macadamization and black-topping works scheduled for the current year. He further instructed departments to fill vacant engineering posts promptly to avoid project delays.
Highlighting the government’s reform agenda, the Chief Minister stressed on expediting initiatives such as revision of mining royalties, setting up a vehicle scrapping facility, implementing electronic road safety enforcement, digitization of land records, and linking farmers’ registries with digital crop surveys. He also emphasized reforms in urban land management and fiscal administration to unlock central incentives.
He directed departments to ensure effective utilization of funds parked in Single Nodal Accounts before the transition to the SNA-Sparsh financial management system.
Concluding the meeting, Omar Abdullah underscored the importance of accountability and coordination across departments. “Timely ex*****on, transparency, and fiscal discipline will define our development outcomes,” he said, reiterating his government’s commitment to efficient governance and tangible progress on the ground.