People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Legislative Party Leader and MLA from Pulwama, Waheed Ur Rehman Parra, on Monday delivered a scathing critique of the recently tabled Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory budget, arguing that it lacks originality and fails to address the pressing concerns of the region’s youth and marginalized communities. Speaking in the Assembly, Para accused the government of relying excessively on centrally sponsored schemes while neglecting state-specific initiatives that could uplift the people of J&K. He called the budget a missed opportunity that neither offers hope nor healing to the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Para further questioned the absence of a state-specific vision, arguing that the budget is merely an allocation of centrally sponsored schemes and programs, with no substantial local planning. “Can the government identify even a single line in the budget that is truly focused on Jammu and Kashmir’s unique needs?” he asked.
He also raised concerns over the absence of relief measures for daily wagers, whose regularization had been a prominent electoral promise of the ruling party. Expressing disappointment over the government’s failure to reinstate the free stamp duty provision for women—a measure introduced under former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti’s administration—Para stressed that this exemption is crucial for narrowing the gender divide in property ownership, which remains stark in J&K. He argued that granting a 100% exemption on stamp duty, as has been done in states like Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, would significantly boost property registration in women’s names.
Para pointed out that despite nearly 69% of J&K’s population being under the age of 35, the budget fails to address the pressing concerns of the youth. “The word ‘youth’ is entirely missing, and so are policies or programs aimed at their upliftment,” he said, endorsing former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s assessment of the budget as “pessimistic.”