Jammu, The Indian National Congress in the occupied Jammu and Kashmir has openly criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its failure to fulfill promises made to various sections of society in the final budget following ten years of governance under Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The criticism highlights a perceived lack of progress and unmet commitments across a range of issues.

According to Kashmir Media Service, Ravinder Sharma, the senior vice president and media chief of the Congress party, expressed disappointment over the absence of provisions in the budget aimed at fulfilling significant commitments made a decade ago. Sharma pointed out the lack of support for refugees, Kashmir migrants, daily wagers, ad hoc and contractual employees, pensioners including the elderly, widows, and the physically challenged, among others.

Sharma specifically mentioned the stalled progress on the Jammu-Poonch Railway Project, which aims to connect the border region, and noted the absence of a comprehensive package for refugees from Azad Jammu and Kashmir and other groups. Despite previous promises by the BJP to implement a package of Rs 30 lakh per family—a commitment enhanced from initial proposals by the NC-Congress government and further supported by the Parliamentary Committee of the Home Ministry—only Rs 5.5 lakh has been disbursed, leaving many promises unfulfilled.

Moreover, Sharma criticized the government for failing to address the high rates of unemployment in occupied Jammu and Kashmir, stating that the budget has left various sections of society, including the poor and common man, “high and dry.”

The Congress party’s critique underscores the growing dissatisfaction with the BJP’s governance in Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting a gap between promised initiatives and their implementation, particularly in terms of economic and social support for vulnerable populations.