Budget lacks vision, fails to address unemployment, economic collapse in J&K: PDP
Srinagar, Feb 8: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) spokesperson Iqbal Tramboo on Monday strongly criticised the Jammu and Kashmir budget, stating that it has failed to respond to the extraordinary economic crisis faced by the region and reflects a complete lack of vision, planning and seriousness.
Addressing a press conference, Tramboo said that the economic damage inflicted on Jammu and Kashmir after 2019 has been deep and structural. “Before 2019, Jammu and Kashmir figured among the top ten states in key economic indicators. Today, our per capita income has fallen to less than 50 percent of the national average. This did not happen by accident—it is the direct result of wrong policies and the prolonged absence of an accountable democratic government,” he said.
He reminded that even the present Chief Minister had publicly acknowledged earlier that decisions taken over the last seven years would need to be revisited as they had pushed Jammu and Kashmir towards destruction. “Unfortunately, this budget shows that the government has failed to recognise the gravity of the responsibility it carries,” he added.
Tramboo said that ‘at a time when Jammu and Kashmir is going through an extraordinary economic crisis, presenting a routine and unplanned budget amounts to delivering the last nail in the coffin for the people.’ “This budget is not aligned with the expectations on the basis of which people demanded elections and an elected government—to repair the damage of the past seven years and improve lives,” he said.
Raising serious concerns over unemployment, Tramboo asked what concrete measures the budget offers to address the growing job crisis. “Unemployment is at the root of drug abuse, depression and declining purchasing power. The post-2019 legal changes directly hit local jobs and businesses, yet this budget remains silent on meaningful job creation,” he said.
On welfare announcements, he cautioned against “hollow promises’, recalling that the previously announced 200 units of free electricity have still not reached the people. “Now six free gas cylinders have been announced for the AAY category, which constitutes barely 1.5 percent of the population. Given the widespread economic distress, such limited and uncertain measures fail to address ground realities,” he added.
The PDP spokesperson also criticised the government’s approach to the tourism sector, saying that while large infrastructure projects have been announced, employment security has been ignored. “After 2019, hospitality has emerged as the biggest employment generator in J&K. Yet hotels in Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Patnitop are under threat due to lease issues. One hotel has already been taken over, rendering 60 employees jobless, while hundreds of others face closure,” he said.
“Spending on infrastructure while the very hotels that sustain tourism are under threat is like putting the horse before the cart,” Tramboo remarked, demanding clarity on the government’s rehabilitation and employment protection plan for the sector.
Highlighting the transport sector, Tramboo said that while the government is spending nearly a crore rupees annually to support corporate-run e-buses under the Smart City project, local transporters are being pushed out of business due to taxes, route closures and unfair competition. “Large corporates do not need subsidies—local transporters do. Supporting them could have saved jobs and created new employment,” he said.
Concluding, Tramboo said the budget neither ensures employment security in tourism, nor presents a vision for the transport sector, nor demonstrates a clear understanding of people-centric economic recovery. “Every sector is mentioned, but the people of Jammu and Kashmir are missing from the planning,” he asserted.
