Srinagar, Feb 11 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday chaired a pre-budget consultation meeting with stakeholders at the Civil Secretariat here.

The meeting focused on understanding the perspectives of representative bodies from various sectors ahead of the Budget Session, according to an official spokesperson.

The Budget Session is likely to take place in the first week of March.

Adviser to the chief minister, Nasir Aslam Wani; Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary Higher Education Shantamanu, Additional Chief Secretary to the chief minister, Dheeraj Gupta; and other senior officers from various departments attended the meeting, both in person and virtually.

During the discussions, stakeholders from diverse sectors including industrialists, traders, hoteliers, travel and tour operators, tourism players, educationists, sportspersons, agriculturists, horticulturists, entrepreneurs and representatives of industry and trade bodies shared their inputs and suggestions for the upcoming J-K Budget, the spokesperson said.

Addressing the meeting, Abdullah emphasised that these consultations have become a key part of this government's pre-budget exercise, aimed at gathering insights from multiple sectors to shape effective policies and allocate resources efficiently, the spokesperson said.

The chief minister patiently listened to all stakeholders, underscoring the importance of these discussions in addressing economic challenges and promoting growth.

He reiterated the government's commitment to presenting a budget that aligns with public needs and aspirations.

To ensure a people-centric budget, the chief minister noted that extensive pre-budget consultations have been conducted.

So far, he has engaged with public representatives, including chairpersons of District Development Councils (DDCs) and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from 10 districts -- Anantnag, Baramulla, Budgam, Pulwama and Kulgam in the Kashmir division and Udhampur, Ramban, Kathua, Reasi and Samba in the Jammu division.

Additionally, consultation meetings have already been held with various stakeholders from Jammu, including representatives from industry, trade, tourism, hotel, hospitality, education, social welfare, tribal affairs, youth affairs and agriculture sectors, according to the spokesperson. PTI MIJ KSS KSS

Pre-budget consultation gathers stakeholder inputs to shape a people-centric budget and align fiscal priorities with public needs. Pre-budget consultations assemble representative stakeholders from industry, trade, tourism, hospitality, education, sports, agriculture and horticulture, entrepreneurs and elected district representatives to provide sector-specific inputs for budget formulation and resource allocation; senior administrative officers and advisers participate to integrate these perspectives into a people-centric budgeting process aimed at addressing economic challenges and promoting growth.