MUZAFFARABAD– The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Wednesday presented a Rs232.427 billion budget, the biggest budget in the history of the AJK.
Finance Minister Colonel (retd) Waqar Ahmad said the federal government’s support had made it possible for the AJK government to increase budget by Rs67 billion. “Fiscal resource will increase by 29pc for the upcoming year,” he added.
He went on to say that it was the biggest budget in AJK’s history, adding that the incumbent government had taken the charge only two months ago. “The credit for excessive financial resources goes to the present government,” he added.
Outlining particulars of the budget, he said the government had fixed Rs42 billion for development projects and Rs190 billion for non-development expenditures. The AJK government earmarked Rs35 billion for pensions, Rs3 billion for the judiciary, Rs8 billion for the interior ministry, and Rs1.67 billion for the FBR,
Senior Minister Colonel (Rtd) Waqar Ahmed Noor on Wednesday presented a historic tax free budget worth over 232 billion and 47 million rupees for financial year 2023-2024 in which 42 billion rupees has been allocated for development projects. A revised budget for the fiscal year 2022-23, worth 156.0947 billion rupees was also presented for approval.
To improve the economic condition of the employees, the finance minister said that the government while keeping in view its resources will contemplate over increasing the salary and pension of the government employees on the pattern of the federal government employees. While presenting the budget for the financial year 2023-24 in the Legislative Assembly of Azad Jammu and Kashmir,
Senior Most Minister and Minister for Finance Colonel (R) Waqar Ahmad Noor said that the total estimated non-development expenditure for the next financial year was 190.047 billion, which included 7.5669 billion rupees for Services and General Administration, rupees 1.672 billion for Board of Revenue, 0.044 billion rupees for Stamps, 51.300 million for Land Record and Settlement, rupees 1,992.200 million for relief and rehabilitation, rupees 35 billion for pension, rupees 379.300 million for public relations, 3.0114 billion for Judiciary, 8.1372 billion for police, 0.3269 billion for jails, 398.600 million for Civil Defense and 100.8 million rupees for Armed Services Board, 6.2067 billion rupees for Communication and Public Works department, 40.133 billion for Education and 17.526 billion rupees for public health. Similarly, budget estimates for Sports,
Youth, Culture & Transport 183.2millions rupees, 266.2 million for religious affairs, 746.6 million rupees for social welfare and women’s affairs, Rs. 1.0616 billion for agriculture, Rs. 964.600 million for livestock and dairy development. The finance minister said that 372.4 million rupees for food, 14.53 billion for State Trading, 1.7856 billion for Forests/ Wildlife/Fisheries, 25.5 million for Cooperative,10.64 billion for Energy and Water Resources, 817.4 million for Local Government & Rural Development,278.2 million Industries, Labour & Minerals Resources, 156.million for Printing Press , 140.2 million for Sericulture, 176.9 million Tourism & Archaeology. He said that capital expenditure worth 4 billion was also included in the budget estimates. The total revenue estimate for the next fiscal year 2023-24, he said, was 166.45 billion rupees which included rupees 44 billion from Inland Revenue, 150 million from Land Record and Settlement, Stamps 400 million,
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Transport Authority 65 million, Armed Services Board 40 million, Law and Order 145 million, Interior (Police) 240 million rupees, Jails 0.8 million rupees, Communication & Works 650 million rupees, Education 280 million rupees, Health 160 million, Food 400 million, Agriculture 11 million, WildLife/Fisheries 75 million, Livestock & Dairy Development 40 million, Forests 1.2 billion, Electricity 25 billion, Printing Press 100 million, Industries 45 million, Labour 5 million ,Sericulture 5 million, Minerals 100 million, Tourism 12 million, Social Welfare 0.2 million, Religious Affairs 70 million, and Miscellaneous 656 million.
On development budget estimates for the FY 2023-24, the finance minister said that am amount of 900 million rupees has been proposed for agriculture and livestock and similarly, 150 million for civil defense / SDMA, 345 million for development institutions, 4.3 billion for education, 150 million for environment, 800 million rupees for forests/watershed, 75 million for wildlife and fisheries, 3 billion rupees for public health, 520 million for industry and minerals,
Rs 280 million for Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority, Rs 1.035 billion for Governance/Miscellaneous, Rs. 30 million for Transport, 200 million for Information and Media Development, Rs 800 million for Information Technology, 3.7 billion for Local Government and Rural Development, 2.465 billion rupees for physical planning and housing, 4.3 billion rupees for energy and water resources, 2.4 billion rupees for research and development, 550 million rupees for land administration and management, social welfare and development of women, Social Welfare & Women Dev.300 million, Sports, Youth & Culture 500, Tourism 700 million and Communication & Works 14.5 billion rupees.
