New Delhi: The Indian National Congress has launched a strong critique against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration for its financial governance of Jammu and Kashmir, particularly highlighting what it describes as severe fiscal mismanagement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh pointed out alarming trends in the recently released budget documents for Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir. These include a five-fold increase in the region’s borrowings over the past two years and a fiscal deficit that has tripled beyond the initial projections. Ramesh raised concerns over the central government’s takeover of the entire police budget for Jammu and Kashmir, interpreting it as an indication of New Delhi’s intent to maintain indefinite control over the region.
In his statement, Ramesh criticized the apparent disparity in financial treatment between Jammu and Kashmir and other states such as Andhra Pradesh and Bihar, questioning the rationale behind such differences. He also highlighted the contradiction between the state’s worsening financial health and its rising tax-to-GDP ratio.
The Congress leader called for greater transparency and accountability in the handling of Jammu and Kashmir’s finances and expressed hope that future budgets for the region would be presented and debated within its own legislature, rather than being centrally administered.