(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is likely to participate in a pre-budget meeting to be chaired by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Rajasthan on December 20.
Sources said that Omar, who is also minister-incharge, Finance Department, will participate in a meeting called by the Union Finance Ministry to hold consultations with states and Union Territories regarding the 2025-26 Union Budget.
ADVERTISEMENT
The meeting is scheduled to be held at Jaisalmer, Rajasthan on December 20 at 04: 00 PM.
ADVERTISEMENT
The Union budget assumes significance for J&K as it has significant dependence on resources of the Union Government.
In the
Union budget for 2024-25, the Centre allocated Rs 42,277.74 crore to Jammu and Kashmir with a hike of 1.2 per cent from the Rs 41,751.44 crore given in the last fiscal.
Read Also
J&K's Dual Power System Recipe For Disaster: Omar
MHA to Release Business Rules by Jan: Omar
In addition to the total budget of Rs 42,277.74 crore, the Centre also allocated Rs 9,789.42 crore to the J&K Police.
It is worthwhile to mention that Omar Abdullah during his meeting with the Union Finance Minister
had last month sought additional central assistance of Rs 6000 crore to bridge the resource gap for financial year 2024-25.
“He also informed the Finance Minister about the difficult fiscal situation being faced by Jammu & Kashmir and requested the Ministry to provide additional Central assistance of Rs 6,000 crore to bridge the resource gap for FY 2024-25,” an official spokesman of J&K government said after the meeting.
He had also requested the Finance Minister to consider Jammu & Kashmir for funding through the“Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment” scheme under which a 50-year interest-free loan would be provided to states for capital expenditure. (KNO)
xxx
Special teams reach Jammu to assist in probe over 7 mysterious deaths in J&K's Rajouri
Jammu, Dec 14 (PTI) Special teams of experts from three premier health institutions have reached here from different parts of the country to help in the ongoing investigations into the recent death of seven persons belonging to two families in a remote village in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district, a senior doctor said on Saturday.
Seven persons - a man and his four children, and two other siblings of another couple - died in Badhaal village in Kotranka in two separate incidents on December 8 and 12 with the officials suspecting food poisoning as the cause of their mysterious death.
“Our preliminary investigation points to viral infection but more work needs to be done to reach the conclusion (on the cause of the deaths). Team of experts from the National Institute of Virology, Pune, PGI Chandigarh and National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), Delhi, have arrived here to assist in the investigations,” Government Medical College (GMC) Principal Dr Ashutosh Gupta told reporters here.
He said some more time is required to finalize whether the deaths were caused by a virus outbreak or some toxins.
Dr Gupta, however, said things are totally under control and there is no need to panic.
“A combined team of experts has been formed to carry forward the investigation to know the exact cause of deaths. No other case has come to light so far,” he added.
Dr Gupta said the health department teams camping in the village for the last two days have screened the entire population of over 1800 villagers for any abnormal symptoms like fever, body aches and drowsiness but no patient was found with such symptoms.
“Even if there is an epidemic, it is well under control,” he added, asking people not to panic.
Dr Gupta further said a woman, who lost her husband and children after attending a marriage party, is undergoing treatment in a hospital in Jammu and her condition is stable, while two others are under treatment in GMC Rajouri.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group : Join Now