Jammu, Feb 20 (PTI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday held separate meetings with elected representatives from Kishtwar and Doda districts here as he concluded his pre-budget consultations.

Abdullah said the series of consultations with public representatives from all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir had provided valuable insights into the ground-level issues faced by the people.

Chairing the session for Kishtwar, the chief minister engaged with public representatives, including Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma, who represents the Padder-Nagseni constituency in the assembly, the chairperson of the District Development Council (DDC), Kishtwar and Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) from the district, an official said.

He said the representatives presented their demands and issues with the chief minister assuring them that their suggestions and inputs would be duly considered in the budget formulation.

Abdullah said the consultations had concluded.

"These interactions help us understand the priorities of the people. Since you are directly connected with the public, your inputs and suggestions are crucial for policy-making," Abdullah told the elected representatives.

Similarly, representatives from the Doda district also discussed their development priorities and concerns with the chief minister.

Some of the key issues in the twin districts were staff shortage in educational institutions and healthcare centres, drinking water supply, road connectivity, construction of tunnels and improving mobile connectivity in remote areas.

The deputy commissioners of Kishtwar and Doda, in their presentation, provided a constituency-wise breakdown of demands prioritised by the MLAs.

The DDC chairpersons and MLAs highlighted that it was the first time such consultations had taken place, the official said. PTI TAS RHL

Pre-budget consultations channel local elected representatives' prioritized infrastructure and service demands into budget formulation. Pre-budget consultations were held with elected representatives from Kishtwar and Doda to elicit constituency-wise, prioritized demands for inclusion in the budget. The Chief Minister, MLAs, DDC chairpersons and deputy commissioners participated; DCs provided a constituency-level breakdown. Key priorities identified for allocation and administrative attention included staff shortages in education and health, drinking water, road and tunnel construction, and mobile connectivity in remote areas. The consultations operate as a mechanism to channel local inputs into budget formulation.