Questions Budget Delay: “Why Funds Have Not Been Released Yet?”
Moin Ul Islam
Srinagar, June 17 (Gulistan News):
JKPCC President Tariq Hameed Karra has said that the dual government system in Jammu and Kashmir is causing confusion among the public and affecting governance. He added that the absence of the business rules is making the situation worse and called for the restoration of statehood as the only way to address these issues.
In an interview with Gulistan News, Karra said, “There are two parallel governments in Jammu and Kashmir, one led by the Lieutenant Governor and the other by Omar Abdullah. This dual system is creating confusion because there are no clear business rules in place. Only statehood can resolve this contradiction.
He said statehood is a promise made by the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and backed by the Supreme Court.
“Despite all these assurances, the delay in restoring statehood is hard to understand,” he said.
Karra also commented on the delay in expanding the cabinet under Omar Abdullah’s leadership. He said, “This is their internal matter, but people expected better governance and work on pending issues. That has not happened yet.”
On the budget, Karra said,
I fail to understand — if the budget was passed in March and became applicable from April 1, then why hasn’t the money been transferred yet? I’ve served as Finance and Planning Minister, I know the procedure. By the third week of April, funds used to be transferred, and within a week, departments would allocate those funds further. Every year, work started from May 1, and in some places, even earlier. But this time, I don’t know why it’s delayed.
He said this issue is affecting all 90 MLAs, including the Chief Minister who has also raised concerns about the lack of progress.
“This dual system of governance is not helping the people. There needs to be better coordination between the two systems, but more importantly, statehood must be restored for proper governance,” Karra said.
(Gulistan News)
