New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir will hold its first budget session in seven years, starting March 3, culminating in the presentation of the Union Territory’s 2025-26 budget on March 7. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also holds the finance portfolio, will present the budget in the Legislative Assembly.
The 28-day session, a significant event for the region, will commence with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address on March 3 in Jammu. This marks a return to the regular budgetary process after a period of central rule, during which J&K’s budget was presented in Parliament.
The session is scheduled to have 22 sittings, with discussions on the LG’s address taking place from March 4-6, concluding with the Chief Minister’s reply. The budget presentation on March 7 will include the annual financial statement for 2025-26 and the supplementary statement for 2024-25.
General discussions on the budget are slated for March 8, 10, and 11, with CM Abdullah providing his concluding remarks on the final day. Demands for grants will be discussed over multiple sittings from March 12-24. The budget is expected to be approved on March 25 with the passage of Appropriation Bills.
Following a 12-day recess, the session will resume on April 7, focusing on private members’ resolutions and bills. Government business will be addressed on April 11.
This budget session is crucial for J&K, marking a significant step towards normalized governance and offering insights into the UT’s financial priorities and development plans for the coming year. The focus is likely to be on economic growth, infrastructure development, and addressing the specific needs of the region.
This will be the first budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly in over seven years. The last budget was presented in February 2018 by Haseeb Drabu, the then-finance minister of the PDP-BJP government headed by Mehbooba Mufti.
