90 days clause for identification of works omitted
No word yet on CDF for 5 months of last year
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 4: In a major decision, the Government today increased Constituency Development Fund (CDF) of MLAs from Rs 3 crore to Rs 4 crore per year with effect from current financial year of 2025-26 and omitted the clause in which the legislators had been asked to recommend works under the Scheme within 90 days of the commencement of financial year.
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An order to this effect was issued today by the Finance Department.
Cutting across party lines, the MLAs had expressed resentment over the Government decision to link CDF with District Capex Budget and direction to them for identification of works within three months saying this will exhaust their entire CDF in 90 days and for rest of nine months they will be left without funds to undertake works on demand of the local people in different parts of their Assembly constituency.
Besides the Opposition BJP, ruling National Conference and its allies including Congress and CPM and other political parties had taken exception to the clause of 90 days timeline for CDF expenditure and demanded that the MLAs should be free to use the Fund as per guidelines of Members Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) and as used to be the case in Jammu and Kashmir as well till 2018.
An order issued by Santosh D Vaidya, Principal Secretary to Government, Finance Department today said the CDF of the MLAs has been enhanced from Rs 300 lakhs (Rs 3 crore) to Rs 400 lakhs (Rs 4 crore) per year under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) from the financial year of 2025-26 i.e. the ongoing year.
“The clause which stated that the MLA shall recommend the works up to annual ceiling within 90 days of commencement of financial year, has been omitted from the guidelines of the CDF,” the order read.
However, there was no mention of the CDF from October 2024 to March 31, 2025 as the legislators took oath in the middle of October last year after Assembly elections in September-October followed by formation of Omar Abdullah-led National Conference Government in Jammu and Kashmir.
Some of the MLAs have repeatedly stressed that they should be given the CDF from the day they took oath as the legislators in middle of October last year i.e. for a period of five and half months. However, the Government has started the CDF from April 1, 2025 i.e. the beginning of the financial year of 2025-26.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds charge of Finance and Planning Development Departments, had assured during budget session of the Legislative Assembly in March-April this year that CDF of the legislators, which was Rs 3 crore per annum when the Assembly was dissolved in 2018, will be enhanced.
BJP MLAs Rajiv Jasrotia, Pawan Gupta, RS Pathania and other had raised the issue for omitting three months clause on CDF expenditure and linking it with District Capex Budget. PCC (I) chief Tariq Hamid Karra and CPM legislator MY Tarigami too had raised the issue forcefully saying this was not acceptable and will defeat the very purpose of the CDF. The NC MLAs too had voiced concern.
The MLAs had demanded immediate withdrawal of the order seeking CDF expenditure within 90 days. They were of the view that the CDF had to be used throughout the year based on demands projected by people when they visit different areas of the constituency. And if entire CDF is exhausted within first three months, they will be left without any funds for rest of the financial year, they had stated.
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