Jammu Tawi, Feb 7: Jammu and Kashmir Government has instructed all departments and officers to prioritize attending to elected representatives, ensuring proper protocol and cooperation in all official matters.
In a circular, government has directed officers and all department that communications, requests, and grievances raised by elected representatives shall be acknowledged and processed on priority.
It further stated officers and officials shall deal with elected representatives in a professional and respectful manner.
The circular added that MLAs be invited to all official functions and meetings organized in their respective jurisdictions, including official visit of any dignitary.
The government urged strict compliance with these instructions to strengthen coordination between administration and elected representatives for effective governance.
A report said that Jammu Kashmir Government is also in the process of framing guidelines for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs), sources disclosed.
Sources said that the Finance Department is working to finalize the guidelines for the utilization of the CDF. “The guidelines will ensure transparency, accountability, and effective utilization of the funds for development works identified by MLAs,” sources said.
They said the proposed guidelines are likely to be placed before the cabinet for approval, most likely around the time when the budget for 2025-26 would be tabled in the Assembly. According to sources, the announcement regarding the CDF for MLAs is likely to be made in the budget speech by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also the Minister in-charge of the Finance Department.
“The CDF for MLAs could be somewhere between Rs 3 to Rs 5 crore,” they said, adding that MLAs were entitled to a CDF of Rs 3 crore each in the erstwhile state of J&K.
The budget for 2025-26 is likely to be presented between March 04 and March 10 in the Assembly. The budget session of the J&K Assembly will begin on March 03 with Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s address to the House.
