Srinagar, Feb 10: JK Peoples Conference President and MLA Handwara Sajad Lone on Tuesday delivered a critical assessment of the recently introduced Jammu and Kashmir budget during his address to the Assembly.
He called it the first budget under complete political oversight since 2018.
He characterised it as a typical bureaucratic budget lacking the distinctive political imprint that usually accompanies an elected government's fiscal proposals.
"When politicians come, when there is an elected government, there is a mark of politics on the budget. That mark is not visible," Lone said.
He questioned why the ruling party's manifesto promises had not been translated into concrete budgetary allocations.
He suggested this disconnect would become a recurring point of contention from the opposition over the next five years.
"So if the mark of the manifesto is there, why is it not in the budget? This is a question that the opposition will ask you repeatedly, for the next five years," he said.
Lone pointed to weak execution of previous budgetary assurances, highlighting a significant gap of 13,000 crores between budget estimates and revised estimates. He observed that capital investment had decreased substantially.
"In the whole world, people have a problem with money; here, it seems there is a problem with spending. We don't seem to have the capacity to spend money," Sajad Lone said.
The budget's composition troubled Lone, with 70 percent allocated to revenue expenditure and only 30 percent to capital expenditure.
"This means that long-term assets will not be built, and this reflects a weak internal revenue base," he said.
He detailed the territory's financial dependence, noting that of the total receipts of 1,27,000 crores, only 31,800 came from internal tax and non-tax sources while central assistance amounted to approximately 42,000 crores, centrally sponsored schemes 13,000 crores, and borrowing 14,000 crores.
"So this limits our fiscal autonomy. When all the money is coming from outside," Lone said.
The legislator reserved his sharpest criticism for what he termed the "great rebate grab" surrounding the six cylinder announcement.
He methodically broke down the mathematics, explaining that the manifesto had promised 12 cylinders for economically weaker sections.
"The exact words in your manifesto are 12 cylinders for economically weaker sections. So, no, thank you will not last long. I think you will have to change it," he said.
Lone said there are two lakh AAY families and 14 lakh BPL, now called priority households.
"So since when did the poor BPL become economically strong? I didn't understand this. They are also economically weak," he said.
He calculated that the manifesto promise would have cost 1,680 crores annually or 8,500 crores over five years, but the government was delivering only 120 to 130 crores annually.
"So against a promise of 8,500 crores for five years, what you are paying is 360 crores. Sir, this is pure mathematics, no theory, no history. If I am wrong, I would love to be corrected," Lone added.
JKPC President described the funding mechanism as taking from one set of poor to pay another.
"Where did this money come from? The money came from reducing the rebate on diesel, which is normally used in public vehicles, in public transport. That will bring in about 250 crores from there. So you took 150 from the pocket of the poor, gave 150 or 120 to other poor people, and 130 still stayed with the government," he said,
He called it "a new kind of justice and lamented that no government had ever levied taxes on the top 5 percent of earners in Jammu and Kashmir.
Similarly, the promise of free education up to graduation was diluted, with 14 lakh families excluded from the benefit.
"So it is a very diluted version of what you promised. Sir, CM Sahab, if you think that instead of 100 you are happy with 5, then fine," Lone said.
On employment, Lone challenged the claim of 7,500 jobs created last year, estimating that hardly 2,000 went to Kashmir.
He defended his past work on the 3 percent reservation bill.
"I am proud of it. I passed the 3% reservation bill in this very hall."
He clarified that when he spoke of 60 percent of the population including Pahari brothers, Gujjar brothers, and Kashmiri Pandit brothers having only 25 percent of jobs, this included all these communities.
"When I say district and divisional recruitment, I mean it for Pahari and Gujjar brothers living in Kashmir Valley. If you think they want to compete in the general category, it would be better if you ask them," Lone said.
The outsourcing of 24,000 jobs drew particularly fierce criticism.
"Sir, you didn't do this, to be very honest with you. This was done by the Babus. The system of Babus is centralised, outsourced. May God outsource their jobs too, those who outsourced these jobs, then they would know what it's like to outsource a poor person's job," Lone said.
He questioned why the current administration continued this policy.
"If you were against everything in the Governor's rule for the last five years, then why are you doing the same today?"
Lone warned that outsourcing cannot work in places without Western-style social security nets. "Where it works in the West, there is a social security net.
"The government even provides money for children's diapers and milk. This is a societal disaster," he said.
He traced a troubling progression from permanent jobs to contractual positions to outsourcing, questioning how private companies could be trusted with quality recruitment when government institutions themselves had suffered major scandals.
"The government is about learning curves. It is hire and fire; they can keep anyone, how will the government run?" he said.
"Where you said you would create one lakh jobs, forgive me, you converted 24000 government jobs into private ones. So, sir, don't give us 1 lakh, but at least don't make them private. Stop converting government jobs into private ones. This is an economic disaster and a societal disaster. It will wreak havoc in society," Lone said.
While not expecting the Chief Minister to produce funds overnight, Lone emphasized that budgets should set an economic tone.
"One thing that should attract investors—let's go to J&K, it's the next investment destination. Sir, we are one of the most regulated economies in the country. It's like the Soviet Union. NOC culture," he said.
He explained that these permissions had become channels for corruption.
"The problem is that our CM Sahab, with due respect, has never applied for permission. He doesn't know that this NOC is money. Even if all the papers are there, you still have to give; if not, you have to give four times more," Lone said.
He said that this centralization intensified over the last five years as bureaucrats sought to maintain control.
"They have done IAS and they think they are the most intelligent, nothing will happen without them. Ask us first."
Lone urged the government to review and dilute orders from the past six years that centralized NOCs. He questioned government involvement in homestays.
"Why do you have to see? What does the government have to do with homestays? Is the government a housekeeper? Is the government going to see if the room is clean or not? Market forces will decide that if the homestay is good, the person will come again," he said.
Despite acknowledging some positive developments like e-office implementation, he said that the tendency toward centralization and high regulation would deter investors.
"We are a highly over-regulated economy; that was my assessment that they would fix it, but it didn't happen," he said.
The legislator identified tourism and horticulture as potential gold mines if properly recognized. He also made a plea to correct economic misstatements made in the house, noting, "When you want to check a traditional economic theory of whether a country is backward or developed, you look at how many people are in agriculture.
The more there are, the more backward it is. The fewer there are, the more it is a high-income country."
Throughout his speech, Lone maintained that Jammu and Kashmir desperately needs reform.
"I would appeal to all of you that we desperately need to deregulate and decentralize our economy, because otherwise, no investors would be coming here," he said.
New Delhi, May 12: A massive protest organised by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) broke out near the Shastri Bhawan on Tuesday, against the alleged paper leak in NEET-UG this year. The exam was held on May 3, following which allegations of paper leak surfaced, triggering investigations by the Rajasthan Special Operations Group (SOG) and central agencies. Earlier, the National Testing Agency (NTA) announced the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026, and said the examination will be re-conducted on dates to be notified separately. In a statement, the NTA said the decision was taken with the approval of the Government of India in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
Srinagar, Feb 12: Jammu and Kashmir recorded over 15.48 lakh traffic violation cases in 2025, with authorities collecting more than Rs 34.17 crore as penalty under the Motor Vehicles Act, the Centre informed Parliament on Thursday. The information was shared in the Lok Sabha in response to a question raised by MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal. According to the official data, 15,48,525 challans were issued across the Union Territory in 2025, while the penalty amount recovered stood at Rs 34,17,36,740. The figures further show that in 2024, a total of 15,44,105 violations were registered with a penalty collection of around Rs 43.40 crore, while in 2023, 12,38,584 challans were issued and Rs 34.56 crore was collected. For the current year, till February 8, 2026, Jammu and Kashmir has recorded 1,63,531 traffic violation cases, with revenue collection of about Rs 2.11 crore. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stated that stricter penalties under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 are aimed at ensuring better compliance and deterrence. It also said that traffic enforcement falls under the jurisdiction of States and Union Territories. The government has issued a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for electronic monitoring and is promoting technology-driven enforcement through Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras integrated with the VAHAN database. Awareness campaigns under the Sadak Suraksha Abhiyan are also being carried out to improve road safety.
New Delhi, Jan 25: The Dental Council of India (DCI) has directed all universities and dental colleges across the country to strictly ensure a minimum of 80 percent biometric attendance for Post Graduate students before allowing them to appear in examinations. The decision has been taken to curb absenteeism among postgraduate dental students. According to a circular issued by the Dental Council of India-a statutory body under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, the decision has been taken after multiple complaints were received from dental colleges in Rajasthan, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh regarding non-attendance of PG students. "The matter was examined by the Grievance Sub-Committee of the DCI in its meeting held on November 24, 2025," the circular reads. It reads that after detailed discussion and deliberation, the committee recommended that all universities and dental colleges must ensure compliance with Regulation 18(a)(i) of the DCI Master of Dental Surgery Course Regulations, 2017, which mandates at least 80 per cent attendance. "The recommendation of the Grievance Sub-Committee has been approved by the Executive Committee of the Dental Council of India through circulation and has now been formally communicated for information and necessary action," the circular reads. As per the circular, all the universities and dental colleges have been directed to ensure minimum 80 per cent biometric attendance of all PG students before permitting them to appear in examinations. The order, issued by Deputy Secretary Dental Council of India Mukesh Kumar, is expected to be implemented with immediate effect across the country.
Srinagar, Jan 8: Contractual faculty members working in government degree colleges of Jammu and Kashmir Higher Education Department (HED) have expressed strong resentment over what they term as a glaring disparity in salaries, demanding revision of their pay in line with University Grants Commission (UGC) norms and regularisation of their services. The faculty, many of whom hold PhDs and are qualified through NET, SET and JRF, said they have been denied UGC-recommended pay scales despite discharging academic responsibilities equivalent to their regular counterparts. “Hundreds of highly qualified scholars have been pushed into silent suffering. For years, we have been assured that our pay revision is under consideration, but nothing has materialised so far,” said Dr Ishfaq Gowhar, a contractual faculty member. Earlier, Director Colleges J&K had acknowledged the legitimacy of the faculty’s demand, stating that while the issue was genuine, its implementation involved significant financial implications due to the large number of contractual appointments. “We are aware that they deserve salary enhancement, but the number of contractual faculty is huge and it has financial implications,” he earlier said. Dr Gowhar pointed out that contractual lecturers, who form the backbone of the higher education system, continue to work on a fixed monthly honorarium of Rs 28,000, which has remained unchanged for nearly a decade. “The irony is that a Class IV employee with a Class 10 qualification draws a salary exceeding Rs 50,000, while doctorate-holding teachers engaged in teaching, mentoring and academic research are paid a fraction of that,” he said. He added that institutions such as SKUAST-K, University of Kashmir and Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) have implemented revised UGC pay scales, but the Higher Education Department has failed to extend similar treatment to its contractual faculty. Dr Gowhar said the demand for “equal work, equal pay” gets prominently featured in election campaigns, raising hopes among contractual teachers. “Promises were made and slogans echoed during elections, but once the process ended, our voices were reduced to silence. Even meeting officials now feels impossible,” he said. He said contractual faculty were not seeking privileges but dignity, fairness and recognition for their service. The faculty appealed to the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and the Education Minister to intervene and take concrete steps towards addressing their long-pending demands. “This issue is not merely about salaries. It is about survival, justice and dignity in the classrooms of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Srinagar, March 6: Around 17 candidates from Jammu and Kashmir have qualified the Civil Services Examination (CSE)-2025, the result for which was declared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Friday. The commission recommended a total of 958 candidates for appointment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and various central services. Anuj Agnihotri, an MBBS graduate, has topped the civil services examination 2025, while Rajeshwari Suve M and Akansh Dhull have got the second and third ranks respectively. According to the official list released by the UPSC the 17 candidates from J&K who have figured in the final merit list include Suvan Sharma (Rank 148), Sugandha Gupta (207), Towseef Ganie (Rank 254), Ritika (Rank 456), Sooyash Shivam (Rank 572), Muneeb Parrah (Rank 581), Ghulam Din (Rank 683), Dwarka Gaadhi (Rank 721), Akash (Rank 747), Koh E Safa (Rank 763), Yasaar (Rank 811), Abhishek (Rank 820), Pankaj (Rank 856), Mohammad Ajaz (Rank 869), Azhar (Rank 886), Sarfraz (Rank 936), and Irfan (Rank 957). The results were declared after conducting the written examination in August 2025 followed by the personality tests (interviews) conducted between December 2025 and February 2026. As per the result notification issue by the UPSC, a total of 958 candidates have been recommended for appointment against 1087 vacancies reported by the government for the examination cycle. These include 180 vacancies in the IAS, 55 in the IFS, 150 in the IPS, 507 in Central Services Group A and 195 in Group B services. Of the total recommended candidates, 317 are from the general category, 104 from the economically weaker sections, 306 from other backward classes, 158 from scheduled castes and 73 from scheduled tribes. A consolidated reserve list of 258 candidates has also been published in accordance with the rules. The claims of recommended candidates regarding reservation categories will be subject to verification by the concerned authorities. The UPSC has stated that the candidature of 348 recommended candidates has been kept provisional, while the result of the two candidates has been kept withheld. The CSE is conducted annually in three stages- preliminary, Mains and interview by the UPSC to select officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others. The civil services (preliminary) examination 2025 was conducted on May 25 of 2025. A total of 937876 candidates applied for this examination, out of which 5,76,793 actually appeared in the test. A total of 14,161 candidates qualified for appearance in the written (Main) examination which was held in August, 2025. Of these, 2736 candidates had qualified for the personality test (interview) of the examination. Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the candidates who qualified the UPSC exam. "Congratulations to all those who have successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination, 2025. Their dedication, perseverance and hard work have led to this significant milestone. Wishing them the very best as they embark on a journey of serving the nation and fulfilling the aspirations of the people," PM Modi wrote on his official X handle. "To those who may not have secured the desired outcome in the Civil Services Examination, I understand that such moments can be difficult. However, this is only one step in a larger journey. Many opportunities lie ahead, both in future examinations and in the many avenues through which you can contribute to our nation. My best wishes for the road ahead," his post on X reads. UPSC chairman Ajay Kumar announced the declaration of the result and congratulated the candidates who qualified the exam. "Congrats to all successful candidates as you begin a career of service to the nation. For those who did not make it-the learning from this journey will guide you in the paths ahead," UPSC Chairman wrote in a post on X. Among the 17 candidates from J&K who qualified UPSC exam inlcude a visually impaired candidate Irfan Ahmad Lone, a resident of Manzpora in the Naidkhai area of Bandipora.
Jammu, Aug 13: In a major relief for pilgrims and passengers travelling from western India, the Railway Board has approved the extension of the Sabarmati–Jammu Tawi Express up to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra. The extended service will run via Jammu and halt at Shaheed Captain Tushar Mahajan railway station in Udhampur before terminating at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi railway station, Katra. The move is expected to significantly ease the journey of thousands of passengers from Gujarat, Rajasthan, Punjab and other parts of western India who currently have to disembark at Jammu Tawi and arrange separate road transport to reach Katra. With the extension, passengers will be able to travel directly to Katra without changing trains or making separate arrangements for the final leg of their journey. The move is expected to cut travel time, reduce additional expenditure and make the pilgrimage to the Vaishno Devi shrine more convenient. The Jammu division of Northern Railway said the decision would provide a major boost to rail connectivity to the shrine and further facilitate religious tourism in the region. The commencement date of the extended service will be announced separately after finalisation of operational arrangements. Railway authorities have advised passengers to check the IRCTC website, mobile application and station enquiry counters for reservation details and the latest status of the service. The extension comes as a significant step towards strengthening direct rail connectivity to Katra and easing the growing movement of pilgrims to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine.
Baramulla, Aug 3: Minister for social welfare department, Sakina Itoo Monday said the government has prepared a cabinet memorandum to provide compassionate appointments to the relatives of Anganwadi workers and helpers who die while in service. Addressing an awareness programme in Baramulla, Sakina Itoo said the proposal seeks to ensure that a family member of a deceased Anganwadi worker or helper is given priority for appointment without the need for a fresh advertisement. She said the cabinet memo is ready and will be taken up for further approval. The minister acknowledged that Anganwadi workers and helpers continue to receive a low honorarium, but said successive National Conference governments have taken steps to improve their welfare. She said the honorarium was enhanced during the government led by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah between 2008 and 2014, and that the present government is committed to ensuring they receive a better share and that Anganwadi centres receive greater budgetary support. She praised the contribution of Anganwadi workers and said they have continued to serve people even during difficult times and deserve recognition for their role in implementing welfare schemes at the grassroots level. She also said the government is examining issues related to the service conditions of Anganwadi workers. Referring to changes made after 2019, the minister said the earlier system was altered by introducing a retirement age, a decision she termed incorrect, adding that the government is working to address the matter. (KNO)
Srinagar, Jul 19: Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti has voiced profound sorrow over the tragic loss of lives and extensive damage caused by the devastating flash floods that struck parts of Rajouri and Poonch following torrential rains. In a statement issued today, Mehbooba Mufti said the unfolding humanitarian crisis has left families shattered, displaced thousands, and caused significant damage to homes, roads and other public infrastructure. She expressed heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured. She urged the administration to mount an all-out relief and rescue operation by deploying adequate manpower, specialised machinery and emergency resources in the worst-affected areas without delay. “The scale of destruction demands an extraordinary response. Every available agency must work in close coordination to reach stranded families, evacuate those at risk and ensure that relief reaches every affected household,” she said. Mehbooba Mufti stressed that rescue efforts must be complemented with immediate humanitarian assistance, including temporary shelter, food, drinking water, medical aid and other essential supplies for displaced families. She also called for urgent restoration of road connectivity, electricity and communication services to facilitate relief operations. The PDP President further demanded that the government undertake a comprehensive assessment of the losses suffered by residents and announce a fair compensation and rehabilitation package for the families of the deceased, the injured and those whose homes, businesses and agricultural lands have been damaged. Expressing solidarity with the affected people, Mehbooba Mufti said Jammu and Kashmir has repeatedly witnessed the devastating impact of natural disasters and emphasised that the government’s response must be swift, compassionate and commensurate with the gravity of the situation. She also appreciated the efforts of rescue personnel, local volunteers and residents assisting those in distress, expressing hope that the ongoing operations would help prevent further loss of life and alleviate the suffering of the affected families.
