PML-N government in Azad Jammu and Kashmir presented the biggest ever historic tax free budget for the fiscal year 2017-18 amounting to over 94 billion and 41 Crore rupees.The budget as compared to that of last year’s financial plan contains a huge Rs.21 billion for development. The two-fold increase in the budget provides total outlay to the tune of nearly 23 billion rupees. The National Economic Council (NEC), the country’s highest body that formulate plans in respect of financial, commercial, social and economic policies, in its meeting held on 19th May, 2017 has approved development outlay of 22 billion rupees including 1 billion rupee as Foreign Aid Component for AJ&K for the financial year 2017-18. Presenting the first budget of the present PML-N government in the AJK legislative assembly, Finance and Planning Minister Dr Najeeb Naqi said that despite many challenges, a balanced budget has been presented wherein top priority has been given to spread network of roads all across the State to promote tourism. Out of the total development estimates 39 percent has been allocated for communication, 15 percent for power generation projects, 9 percent for local government and rural development, 8 percent for foreign funded projects, 7 percent for physical planning and housing while 22 percent for other sectors. Whereas 86 percent funds have been allocated for the ongoing 154 schemes while 32 percent for new development schemes.
Requisite funds have also been allocated for education, health, tourism, local government and rural development and other sectors. 22551 million rupees fund has been allocated for education whereas 6626 million rupees for the health sector.In addition to this hefty increase in the budget, it is quite heartening to note that the federal government of has already included the mega development projects for Azad Jammu and Kashmir in its budget. Mansehra-Muzaffarabad, Mirpur-Mangla Express Way would be constructed within estimated cost of 142 billion rupees. Lower Toppa Kohalla Express Way costing over 20 billion rupees would be constructed under NHA. Both the projects are part of federal development program.Moreover, the AJK has been made a beneficiary of China Pakistan Economic Corridor CPEC, under which a number of mega projects would be setup in the near future. Special Economic Zone status is being given to Mirpur under CPEC, whereas 1124 megawatt Kohalla Hydropower Project and 720 megawatt Karrot Hydropower Project is also part of CPEC. The incumbent regime is going to setup Tourism Corridor in the AJK besides upgrading the existing infrastructure in the territory that will certainly generate huge economic activities and employment opportunities for jobless youth in the region. The record high budget, unprecedented in the annals of AJK history, provides a solid foundation for the socio economic uplift, progress and prosperity of the people of the area. It is believed that the budget would greatly help the government of the region to facilitate the common masses besides the execution and timely completion of development projects. It is now the sole responsibility of the government and the people sitting at the helm of affairs to ensure transparency, better use of development funds, high standard quality-construction of mega development projects, merit and rule of law in the region to give practical shape to its claims of good-governance, being touted as one of the top priorities of the incumbent regime.In presence of PML-N government in the center, it is expected that the government of Azad Kashmir will have a leverage to get its agenda implemented and executed smoothly without any political or bureaucratic hurdle. Hope that this time there will be no chest beating and complains over shortage or freezing of development funds as it was complained by the previous governments of the region. In order to ensure transparency and better use of development funds in the region, the AJK President and the PM have rightly pointed out that after two-fold increase in the budget the responsibilities of public representatives as well as bureaucracy have increased to manifold, but so far as achieving the lofty goal of better governance in the region is concerned, it could be ascertained through proper planning, effective economic and budgetary surveillance and transparency, better co-ordination and co-operation at all governmental levels.
