Major projects stuck between ‘finalization’ & ‘operationalization’
Repackaged commitments call for stronger accountability
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 16: Generally, budget documents are intended to serve as definitive policy roadmaps laying down priorities, allocating resources and setting measurable timelines for execution. However, a comparative examination of Jammu and Kashmir’s Budgets for 2024-25, 2025-26 and 2026-27 indicates a recurring pattern of high-value announcements followed by prolonged procedural delays and shifting operational deadlines.
Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp
Across critical sectors like disaster management, higher education reform, road safety infrastructure and cultural development, the initiatives unveiled with urgency in one financial year have reappeared in subsequent Budgets in varying forms, often accompanied by revised language but limited evidence of tangible completion.
The projects, which were earlier projected as “likely to be completed” have transitioned into “being finalized” or “to be operationalized this year” thereby raising concerns about planning accuracy, inter-departmental coordination and monitoring mechanism.
In the 2025-26 Budget, the Government had underscored the devastating lessons of the 2014 floods and announced the creation of Rs 39 crore Disaster Mitigation Fund to enhance resilience. Describing this as a first dedicated corpus aimed at prevention, early warning systems and preparedness to safeguard lives and property across Jammu & Kashmir, the Government had stated: “By investing in tools, manpower and infrastructure, we aim to reduce risks and safeguard lives and property across the Union Territory”.
The announcement was positioned as a decisive shift toward proactive disaster resilience.
However, in the 2026-27 Budget, the initiative resurfaced under the nomenclature “Disaster Risk Mitigation Fund,” with the Government stating that for building resilience to future disasters, it has, for the first time, started building a Disaster Risk Mitigation Fund with initial corpus of Rs 39 crore.
“The guidelines for the Disaster Risk Mitigation Fund are being finalized. Under National Landslide Risk Mitigation Programme (NLRMP), six priority projects have been identified for undertaking timely mitigation measures”, the latest announcement read.
The comparison clearly indicates that even after one full financial year, the modalities governing the fund remain under formulation. For a region highly vulnerable to floods, landslides and seismic activity, the delay in formalising a mitigation framework is being seen as administrative inefficiency.
Similarly, in the 2025-26 Budget, the Government had announced that it would roll out a policy to attract private investment in higher education and encourage reputed private universities to establish satellite campuses in Jammu & Kashmir. The objective was to expand educational access and create employment opportunities for local youth.
In the 2026-27 Budget, the Government has stated that the policy for establishment of private universities is being finalized to increase access to higher education and promote a skilled workforce.
The repetition indicates that nearly a year after the initial announcement, the policy remains under preparation. No clear timeline for notification or implementation has been indicated. Given the migration of a significant number of students outside the Union Territory for higher studies, the delay in operationalising such a policy has implications for both educational expansion and employment generation.
In Budget 2024-25, it was stated that the Institute of Driving Training and Research (IDTR) at Kot Bhalwal, Jammu was likely to be completed and operationalized during that financial year. Similarly, the Institute of Inspection and Certification Centre (ICC) at Samba was projected for completion in 2024-25. Automated Testing Stations (ATSs) were also proposed to be established in the private sector for testing the fitness of motor vehicles.
Now, in Budget 2026-27, the Government has stated that the IDTR at Kot Bhalwal will be made operational this year and will feature seven automated driving tracks along with modern machinery to ensure professional driver training. The ICC at Samba is described as being “soon commissioned,” while the transition to ATSs is said to be underway.
The shift in timelines from expected completion in 2024-25 to operationalization in 2026-27 highlights delays spanning two financial years. This is notwithstanding the fact that these projects are directly linked to road safety, vehicle fitness compliance and environmental safeguards, making timely completion particularly important.
The move toward Automated Testing Stations was projected as a structural reform to improve transparency in vehicle fitness certification and enhance commuter safety. However, successive Budget references have stopped short of providing district-wise rollout details, the number of stations approved or operational, and the timeframe for full transition. The absence of measurable milestones has made it difficult to assess progress on this reform.
In Budget 2024-25, the Government had announced the establishment and operationalization of eight cultural centres. In Budget 2026-27, it has proposed the establishment of new cultural centres at Bandipora, Shopian, Anantnag, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Poonch and Budgam to expand inclusive cultural infrastructure.
While expansion of cultural facilities is a positive development, the latest Budget does not clearly spell out the status of the earlier eight centres.
The comparative analysis of three successive Budgets points to a consistent trend that announcements made with defined timelines in one year were reaffirmed with modified phrasing in the following year. Such repetition underscores the need for stronger monitoring mechanisms, realistic project scheduling and transparent reporting of implementation progress.
As the 2026-27 financial year unfolds, the effectiveness of governance will be measured not by fresh announcements but by the completion and operationalization of projects repeatedly promised in previous Budgets, experts remarked.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
