FM announces gas pipeline for J&K, CU for Leh
Power, Works get lion’s share in Ladakh
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 1: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today announced Rs 30757 crore worth Central grants for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and Rs 5958 crore for Ladakh, a gas pipeline project for J&K and the Central University for Leh in the budget for 2021-22.
The grants and other announcements for the twin Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh were made by the Finance Minister in the Union budget presented in the Parliament today.
Out of Rs 30757 crore worth grants approved for Jammu and Kashmir for the next financial year of 2021-22, Rs 30478 crore were part of Central assistance to Union Territories while Rs 279 crore were released under the Disaster Response Fund.
The grants were exactly same as approved for the current financial year of 2020-21. These were, however, revenue grants, the documents tabled by Sitharaman in the Parliament, revealed.
Out of Rs 5958 crore released for the Union Territory of Ladakh for 2021-22, Rs 3626.36 crore have been kept as Capital expenditure and Rs 2331.64 crore as Revenue expenditure. The total grants approved for Ladakh were also equal to what the Union Territory had been allocated for the ongoing financial year of 2020-21. However, for the current fiscal, there was slight variation in Revenue and Capital Expenditure which was to the tune of Rs 2331.72 cr and Rs 3626.28 crore respectively.
In Ladakh, major share of Rs 223.66 crore has been kept for Power sector including Rs 134.66 crore as Capital and Rs 89 crore as Revenue expenditure followed by Rs 65.47 crore for Public Works—Rs 35 crore as Capital and Rs 30.47 crore as Revenue expenditure.
Rs 720.19 crore have been reserved for total schemes in the Union Territory of Ladakh while there is provision of Rs 2.03 crore for UT’s supplement to the Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
Rs 3477 crore is the Tribal Area Component which comprised Rs 3233.85 crore as Capital and Rs 243.15 cr as Revenue expenditure.
Other major grants for Ladakh include Rs 84.21 crore for Rural Development, Rs 57.52 crore for Civil Supplies, Rs 55 crore for Civil Aviation, Rs 40.40 crore for Agriculture and Allied Schemes, Rs 32.54 crore for Tourism, Rs 22.48 crore for Roads and Bridges, Rs 19 crore for Urban Development, Rs 17.71 crore for Police and Fire Control, Rs 281.12 crore for Social Welfare, Rs 17.49 crore for Education, Sports, Arts and Culture and Rs 16.17 crore for Village and Small Industries.
The Union Finance Minister also announced setting up of a Central University in Leh.
“For accessible higher education in Ladakh, I propose to set up a Central University in Leh,’’ Sitharaman said while presenting the budget in the Parliament.
She said 100 new Sainik Schools will be set up in partnership with NGOs, private schools and States.
“We would be introducing the legislation this year to implement the setting up of the Higher Education Commissioner of India,’’ she added and said there are other umbrella structures to be created for higher education.
More than 15,000 schools will be strengthened under the NEP 2020,” Sitharaman said.
She also announced a gas pipeline project for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has lauded the Central Government for announcing the gas pipeline project.
“I thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah for announcing a new gas pipeline project for the development of Jammu and Kashmir in the budget for 2021-22. I congratulate Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for an inclusive and growth-oriented historic budget for Aatmanirbhar Bharat,’’ Sinha tweeted.
Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh Radha Krishna Mathur has also welcomed allocation of Central University and grants for the Union Territory.
“Rs 5958 crore allocated to the Union Territory of Ladakh for Financial Year 2020-21. The announcement of setting up of a Central University in Ladakh will prove to be the much needed propeller for the Higher Education Sector. Ladakh expresses gratitude to the Finance Minister,” the Office of the LG of Ladakh said in a tweet.
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