Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday chaired a pre-budget consultation meeting with key stakeholders from various sectors ahead of the Jammu and Kashmir Budget 2026-27.
The meeting at the civil secretariat was attended by ministers Sakina Itoo, Javaid Ahmad Dar and Satish Sharma, and senior officers of various departments.
During the meeting, stakeholders, including industrialists, traders, hoteliers, tour and travel operators, educationists, and agriculturists, presented their suggestions and inputs for consideration in the forthcoming budget, a spokesperson said.
Abdullah told the meeting that these interactions are an integral part of the government's annual pre-budget consultations, aimed at collecting feedback from diverse sectors to help shape policies and ensure effective allocation of resources.
Pre-Budget consultations play a crucial role in addressing key economic challenges and promoting inclusive growth, he remarked and emphasised the need to present a people-friendly Budget that reflects public aspirations and sentiments.
Abdullah assured the participants of the meeting that their inputs would be carefully examined and incorporated into Budget 2026-27, wherever feasible.
The chief minister also chaired a comprehensive meeting with MLAs from Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal districts.
During the deliberations, MLAs from Srinagar sought enhanced budgetary allocations for developmental projects and key public welfare initiatives, the spokesperson said.
He said MLAs Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mubarak Gul, Shamim Firdous, Tanvir Sadiq, Sheikh Ahsan Ahmed (Pardesi), Salman Ali Sagar and Mushtaq Ahmad Guru presented constituency-specific development plans and raised issues related to infrastructure and overall public welfare.
The legislators stressed the need for scientific waste management at the Achan landfill, the spokesperson said.
Concerns relating to drinking water quality, upgradation of sewage treatment plants, widening of interior roads, and removal of traffic bottlenecks were highlighted at the deliberations.
MLAs from Budgam -- Ali Mohammad Dar, Shafi Ahmad Wani, Saif-ud-Din Bhat and Aga Muntazir -- and Kangan MLA Mian Mehar Ali highlighted constituency-specific developmental needs and public welfare issues.
CM Abdullah represents Ganderbal in the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly.
Addressing the meeting, the chief minister assured the legislators that the priorities identified for their respective constituencies, along with initiatives aimed at overall public welfare, would be duly considered and incorporated in the forthcoming budget.