JKP to Get Rs 9,925 Crore, Rs 828 Crore More Than Current FY; Union Budget Boosts J&K Grants to Rs 43,290 Crore
Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Feb 1: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday announced increased grants to Jammu and Kashmir worth Rs 43,290 crore for the financial year 2026-27, nearly Rs 2,000 crore higher than the current year’s allocation of Rs 41,340.22 crore.
The Jammu and Kashmir Police, now directly under the Union Home Ministry, will receive Rs 9,925.50 crore, up from Rs 9,097 crore in the revised estimates for 2025-26. Sitharaman made the announcement while presenting the Union Budget 2026-27 in Parliament. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who holds the Finance portfolio in the J&K government, is scheduled to present the UT’s own budget on February 6.
In a significant development for tourism, the Union Finance Minister proposed the development of ecologically sustainable mountain trails in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
“Mountain trails in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir will be developed, alongside Araku Valley in the Eastern Ghats, Podhigai Malai in the Western Ghats, turtle trails along key nesting sites in Odisha, Karnataka, and Kerala, and bird-watching trails along Pulikat Lake in Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu,” she said.
Local trekkers and tourism organisers welcomed the move, calling it a long-overdue recognition of J&K’s untapped adventure tourism potential. “The routes vary from 2 km to 10 km and are designed with safety measures, including benches and resting points,” they added.
According to the budget proposals, total transfers to the Union Territory have been pegged at Rs 43,290.29 crore, up from Rs 41,340.22 crore in the 2025-26 revised estimates. Central assistance to the UT has risen by Rs 2,030.97 crore, from Rs 40,619.30 crore in 2025-26 to Rs 42,650.27 crore in 2026-27.
Funding for the Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP-EAP) has been increased from Rs 185.34 crore to Rs 259.25 crore, a rise of 39.9 per cent. The allocation for disaster relief stands at Rs 279 crore, unchanged from 2025-26, while Rs 101.77 crore has been earmarked for capital expenditure to facilitate infrastructure development, promote economic growth, and generate employment.
The Centre has also allocated grants for the 624 MW Kiru Hydro Electric Project on the Chenab River in Jammu, aimed at boosting power generation capacity in the region. All funds are provided as grants-in-aid to the UT government.
The Union Budget also allocates Rs 2,55,233.53 crore to the Ministry of Home Affairs, with Rs 1,73,802.53 crore earmarked for Central police forces such as the CRPF, BSF, and CISF, responsible for internal security, border guarding, and protection of vital installations.
The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) primarily handles counter-terrorism operations in Jammu and Kashmir, anti-Naxal operations in central and eastern India, and insurgency operations in the northeast, while the Border Security Force (BSF) guards India’s 6,000 km borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The budget also supports high-value nut crops, including walnuts, providing a boost to nearly seven lakh people whose livelihoods depend on the struggling walnut trade in Jammu and Kashmir. The announcement has been welcomed by orchardists and traders, offering hope for a sustainable future for the state’s walnut industry, which accounts for over 90 per cent of the region’s crop output. (Agencies)
