BUDGET FY26: AJK govt presents record Rs310.20bn budget for FY2025-26

MUZAFFARABAD: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) government on Wednesday presented a record Rs310.20 billion budget for the financial year 2025-26, marking the largest budget in the region’s history.

Finance Minister Abdul Majid Khan unveiled the budget in the AJK Legislative Assembly, highlighting the government’s priorities and aspirations of the people. He presented the following details for estimate of receipts: Inland Revenue: Rs85,000 million, Land Record & Settlement: Rs180m, Stamp: Rs500m, AJ&K Transport Authority: Rs70m, Armed Services Board: Rs40m, Law & Order (Administration of Justice): Rs320m, Home (Police): Rs250m, Jails: Rs2.500m, Communication & Works: Rs625m, Education Rs290m, Health: Rs252m, Food: Rs550m, Agriculture: Rs12m, Wildlife/Fisheries: Rs90m, Livestock & Dairy Development: Rs50, Forests: Rs500m, Electricity: Rs19,580m, Printing Press: Rs120m, Industries: Rs55.500 million, Labour: Rs6.500 million, Sericulture: Rs6.500m, Minerals: Rs130m, Tourism: 15m, Social Welfare: Rs0.200m, religious affairs: Rs90m, miscellaneous: Rs1,264.200m, federal variable grant: Rs149,000m, water usage charges: Rs1,000m, loan and advances: Rs1,200m, totalling Rs261,200 million.

The finance minister gave the following estimate of expenditure: General Administration: Rs9,266.500m, Board of Revenue Rs1,987.500m, Stamps: Rs48.2m, Land Record & Settlement Rs63.6m, Relief & Rehabilitation: Rs2,012.8m, Pension: Rs49,000m, Public Relations Rs431.300m, Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs: Rs3,895.400m, Home (Police): Rs11,346.6m, Jails: Rs472.300m, Civil

Defence: 518.300m, Armed Service Board: Rs132.5m, Communication & Works: Rs6,702.300m, Education: Rs52,786.7m, Health: Rs26,274.9m, Sports, Youth, Culture & Transport: Rs247m, Religious Affairs: Rs422.9m, Social Welfare & Women Affairs: Rs991m, Agriculture: Rs1,304m, Livestock & Dairy Development: Rs1,185.8m, Food: Rs473.7m, State Trading: Rs37,994.28m, Forests /Wild Life /Fisheries: Rs2,256.7m, Cooperative: Rs22.4m, Energy and Water Resources: Rs12,927m, Local Government & Rural Development: Rs1,114.4m, Industries, Labour & Mineral Resources: Rs366.9m, Printing Press: Rs176.3m, Sericulture: Rs163.8m, Tourism & Archaeology: Rs228.700m, Miscellaneous (Grants): 31,386.22m, totalling Rs256,2 million.

Capital expenditure: Rs5,000 million

Grand total: Rs261,200 million

He also gave details for estimates of development expenditures: Agriculture/Livestock: Rs900m, Civil Defence/ SDMA: Rs150m, Development Authorities: Rs345m, Education: Rs5,000m, Environment: Rs150m, Forestry/Watershed: Rs800m, Fisheries/Wildlife: Rs75m, Health: Rs6,000m, Industries/Minerals: Rs920m, AJKTEVTA: Rs280m, Governance/ Miscellaneous: Rs2,035m, Transport: 30m, Information & Media Development: Rs200m, Information Technology: Rs800m, Local Govt & RD: Rs5,000m, Physical Planning & Housing: Rs2,465m, Energy and Water Resources: Rs4,800m, Research & Development: Rs1,400m, Land Administration & Management: Rs1,150m, Social Welfare & Women Development: Rs300m, Sports, Youth & Culture: Rs500m, Tourism: Rs700m, Communication & Works: Rs15,000m, totalling Rs49,000 million.