Jammu, Feb 6 (PTI) Asserting the budget to be passed in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly should not be framed in isolation, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday emphasized the aim of these consultations is to ensure that the proposals of people's representatives are considered and their needs and aspirations are reflected in the budget.

Abdullah highlighted that such consultations provide a clear picture of ground realities, enabling the government to formulate policies that effectively address public concerns.

For the second consecutive day on Thursday, the chief minister conducted pre-budget consultations with stakeholders, emphasizing the critical role of feedback from public representatives who maintain direct connections with people.

As part of these efforts, he held a series of consultative meetings with the District Development Council (DDC) chairpersons and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from Baramulla, Udhampur, Kulgam and Ramban districts.

Addressing the participants, the chief minister reiterated the government's commitment to an inclusive budget-making process.  "While the Assembly may pass the budget, it should not be formulated in isolation. Our goal is to ensure that the proposals of people's representatives, including DDC chairpersons and the MLAs, are duly considered, reflecting their needs and aspirations in the budget," he said.

Abdullah further emphasized that such consultations provide a comprehensive understanding of ground realities, enabling the government to formulate policies that effectively address public concerns.  "These discussions will not only aid in short-term budget planning but will also contribute to long-term policy formulation, ensuring that governance priorities align with the needs of the people," he said.

During the meetings, the DDC chairpersons and the MLAs from the concerned districts presented their prioritized demands.

The participants raised key issues and demands related to roads, health infrastructure, power supply, rural development, water supply, education, sports facilities, recruitment, irrigation and flood control, and animal husbandry.

Additionally, concerns regarding urban development, forest clearances, drug menace, tourism promotion, solid liquid waste management, parking facilities and new development projects were also discussed.

The MLAs also stressed the need for effective implementation of water supply schemes in major towns under AMRUT 2.0 and called for resolution of issues in tendering processes to utilize funds under the Jal Jeevan mission.

The chief minister thanked the public representatives for their suggestions and insights, emphasizing that the primary objective of these meetings is to develop a people-centric budget by incorporating valuable inputs and listening to feedback.

As part of ongoing consultations, Abdullah earlier on Wednesday held similar meetings with the public representatives from Anantnag, Kathua, Samba and Budgam districts where discussions on various development projects and budgetary requirements took place. PTI AB AS AS

Inclusive budget-making to ensure representative proposals shape policy and public spending through stakeholder consultations. Budget formulation should follow an inclusive budget-making approach through a structured consultative process with District Development Council chairpersons and Members of the Legislative Assembly to ensure proposals from people's representatives are considered. Consultations convert ground-level feedback into short-term allocations and longer-term policy priorities, aligning governance with public needs. Prioritized demands covered roads, health, education, power and water supply, rural development, irrigation and flood control, recruitment, animal husbandry, tourism, urban development, waste management, and implementation and tendering issues to enable effective funding and execution of projects.