MUZAFFARABAD:Azad Jammu and Kashmir’s (AJK) Annual Development Programme (ADP) for the fiscal year 2025-26 with an outlay of Rs49 billion, including a Rs 1 billion foreign component, allocates 52 per cent to infrastructure development-related sectors, 34pc to social sectors, and 14pc to productive sectors.
Sharing a sector-wise breakdown of the allocations, Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan said that the Communication and Works Department would receive the largest share of Rs15bn, followed by Rs6bn for health and Rs5bn each for education and local government and rural development (LG&RD).
The energy and water resources sector has been allocated Rs4.8bn — including Rs3.2bn for hydropower generation projects and Rs1.6bn for electricity supply and network improvement.
Other major allocations include Rs2.465bn for Physical Planning and Housing (PPH), Rs2.035bn for governance and miscellaneous sectors, Rs1.4bn for research and development, and Rs1.15bn for land administration and management, including the construction and improvement of refugee colonies.
Among other sectors, Rs920 million has been earmarked for industries and minerals, Rs900m for agriculture and livestock, Rs800m each for forestry and watershed management and information technology, and Rs700m for tourism. Sports, youth, and culture have been allocated Rs500m, while Rs345m will go to development authorities.
Additionally, Rs300m has been proposed for social welfare and women development, Rs280m for the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA), Rs200m for information and media development, Rs150m each for civil defence/State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) and environment, Rs75m for fisheries and wildlife, and Rs30m for transport.
The finance minister said 52pc of the ADP funds — amounting to Rs25.21bn — had been earmarked for ongoing projects, while the remaining Rs23.79bn would go to new schemes. At the close of the current fiscal year, 76 development projects will have been completed, while the target for the next fiscal year is the completion of 167 projects, he added.
Among major recurring expenditures, education sector will get the highest share of Rs52.786bn, followed by Rs49bn for pensions, Rs37.99bn for “State Trading” — a term used for wheat flour subsidy — Rs31.386bn for miscellaneous grants, Rs26.274bn for health, Rs12.927bn for energy and water resources, Rs11.346bn for home (police), Rs9.2bn for general administration, Rs3.89bn for law, justice and parliamentary affairs (including judiciary), Rs2.25bn for forests/wildlife/fisheries, Rs2.01bn for relief and rehabilitation, and Rs1.98bn for Board of Revenue.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan on Wednesday presented a tax-free budget for the fiscal year 2025-26.
Speaking at the budget session of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, he said the total estimated budget size for the upcoming fiscal year is set at Rs310.2 billion, which is an increase of Rs8.62 billion compared to the previous year.
He stated that the development and non-development budget is fixed at Rs310.2 billion, with non-development expenditures estimated at Rs261 billion and development expenditures at Rs49 billion. He added that Rs2 billion have been allocated for the introduction of a health card in the upcoming fiscal year, while Rs240 million have been earmarked under the education package for school upgrades and the establishment of new institutions.
To address the shortage of teachers in educational institutions, Rs60 million have been allocated, and biometric attendance systems have been implemented across all departments.
The FM also announced that Rs3.799 billion have been allocated for food subsidies to provide affordable flour to the public in the coming fiscal year. Additionally, Rs1.5 billion have been proposed for the information and communication sector.
On the other hand, ahead of the budget session in the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly, opposition members staged a protest and sit-in by locking the doors of the assembly, preventing government members from entering and causing a delay in the session.
Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan appealed to the opposition to come inside the assembly and register their protest formally. He termed the opposition’s action as illegal and unparliamentary.
