ibn sultan
Srinagar, Mar 07: The key takeaways from the 2025-26 Jammu and Kashmir Budget presented by Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, include the upgrading of health and education facilities as well as making tourism the mainstay of the economy.
Here are the ten major highlights of the Budget:
* UT’s non-tax revenue has risen to ₹5,824 crore as of January 31, 2025, while tax revenue has reached ₹11,650 crore—both set to exceed last year’s collections.
* Government to develop new master plans for key destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg, while enhancing infrastructure and amenities in new tourism hubs. Under the Home Stay Policy, Government will expand the number of registered homestays, aiming to increase quality accommodation options and generate more livelihoods.
* Government will operationalize the Film Policy, making J&K a preferred shooting location and strengthen the Venture Capital Fund, enhance incubation partnerships and improve market access while ensuring regular policy reviews. Govt proposes an allocation of ₹50 crore this year to support financial aid, mentorship, and incubation for emerging entrepreneurs.
* Modern Drug Testing Laboratory in Kathua will be operationalized with key posts filled to ensure smooth functioning. Additionally, 30-bedded Emergency Medicine Departments will be established in all GMCs, and 10 Nursing Colleges will be fully equipped with faculty and staff. The GMC, Handwara project will be fast tracked with immediate site selection.
* Three new Cath Labs will be established—one each in North Kashmir, Pir Panjal, and Chenab Valley— with a budgetary provision of ₹45 crore. Over the next three years, MRIs and PET scanning services will be made available in all new Government Medical Colleges (GMCs), while CT scan services will be fully implemented in all district hospitals with an allocation of ₹110 crore.
* Dialysis services will be expanded to all 83 Sub-District Hospitals (SDHs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs) over the next two years, with an additional ₹16.80 crore allocated for 24 new dialysis centres in 40 SDHs/CHCs in the next financial year.
* Government to establish a National Law University (NLU) in Jammu & Kashmir to drive legal education reforms and research. With world-class training aligned to contemporary standards, the NLU will empower future legal professionals and enhance justice delivery. A provision of ₹50 crore is proposed in the budget for this transformative initiative.
* Free ration of 10 kg per person to all AAY beneficiaries starting April 1, 2025, ensuring enhanced nutritional support for the most vulnerable.
* Enhancement of financial assistance made under the Marriage Assistance Scheme from ₹50,000 to ₹75,000 for AAY category girls.
*Govt proposes a reform in the stamp duty structure for gift transactions among blood relatives. Currently, the stamp duty for such transactions varies from 3% to 7%, which discourages formal registration. To address this, the government proposes reducing the stamp duty on property gifted to blood relatives to zero.(GK)
