Budget ‘hopeless, bureaucratic, anti-people’: Opposition

Jammu, Feb 6: Leaders across the opposition spectrum on Friday slammed the Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory Budget, calling it “hopeless, bureaucratic and anti-people”, while alleging that it ignores unemployment, daily wagers and the poor.
Leader of Opposition (LoP) and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma described the budget as “National Conference-centric” and “anti-people”.
“This is a budget for NC MLAs. There is nothing in it for the common people of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sharma said. He alleged that funds allocated by the Centre were diverted to NC-held constituencies.
He accused the government of betraying daily wagers by failing to announce a clear, time-bound regularisation policy and ignoring unemployment. “Nearly 24,000 jobs have been outsourced with no written exam or transparent process. This budget is deceptive and disappointing,” he said, adding that earlier promises of free electricity and LPG cylinders remain unfulfilled.
People’s Conference (PC) chief and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone criticised the government, saying the budget was “drafted by bureaucrats” and lacked political direction.
“The budget is as good or as bad as it was last time. It’s a budget by bureaucrats, and there is no political input in it,” Lone said, adding that it reflects “repeated gratitude to the Centre” but “no independent policy framework”.
He questioned the government’s claims of financial limitations, saying, “Are there any restrictions in the budget? There are none,” Lone said, accusing the administration of diluting the earlier promise of 12 free LPG cylinders to poor families.
PDP leader and MLA Pulwama Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra termed the budget “hopeless and vague”, saying it offers “no healing or hope” to the people.
“There is nothing for the youth, even though 60–65 per cent of our population is young,” Parra said, adding that local youth were ignored as “24,000 posts have been outsourced” while “six lakh outside labourers” work in J&K.
He said promises made in the previous budget, including free gas cylinders, remain unfulfilled. “A budget reflects intent, and that intent is missing,” he said.
PDP MLA from Budgam Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi also expressed disappointment, saying the budget “failed to relieve the poor” and urged the government to honour previous commitments.
“We are disappointed that the budget failed to bring real relief to J&K’s poor. Promises made on the National Law University (NLU) must also be fulfilled,” he said.
Adding to the criticism, BJP MLA Shagun Parihar said the budget “once again deceived” the people. “This year too, the budget is a deception and a fraud. This time, too, we did not get solutions for the people. Daily wagers and the Awaam have all been ignored,” she said.
BJP MLA Vikram Randhawa likened the budget to “old wine in a new bottle”. “Old wine in a new bottle, and the bottle very beautifully designed, but those who hold it in their hands slip away,” he remarked while speaking in the House.
Randhawa questioned the government over its unfulfilled promise of free LPG cylinders. “When people didn’t get 12 cylinders in one-and-a-half years, who will give six? Not a single word was said about daily wagers, not even a single letter,” he said, terming the budget “empty on substance.”
BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma said the government’s schemes were “good on paper” but lacked clarity and time-bound delivery.
“Government schemes are good, but people lack clarity. The budget appears premature; benefits must be transparent and time-bound,” he said, adding that governance should focus on inclusivity rather than labels. “I don’t label Kashmiris anti-national,” he said. (KNO)