Jammu, Nov 11 : Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday directed concerned departments to ensure time-bound completion of ongoing works under the Scheme for Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI), with a focus on meeting financial targets within the stipulated sunset period.
Chairing a review meeting to assess the progress of SASCI works, Abdullah also called for expediting execution, strengthening inter-department coordination and ensuring optimal utilisation of funds.
The review covered physical and financial progress of projects undertaken during FY 2025-26, availability of funds and expenditure targets for FY 2026-27, besides steps taken for effective implementation of projects during FY 2027-28, an official spokesman said.
The chief minister reviewed progress across key sectors, including public works, Jal Shakti, youth services and sports, power, and housing & urban development.
Abdullah called for special focus to the disaster management component, aimed at strengthening disaster mitigation and resilience, besides restoring infrastructure damaged in natural disasters.
He also directed expediting SASCI Part-I works and ensuring full utilisation of approved funds by March 2027 to qualify for the second instalment.
He stressed strict adherence to revised deadlines for completion of works under the SASCI 2025-26 disaster management component and directed departments to achieve the prescribed financial targets within the stipulated period.
Emphasising financial discipline and transparency, the chief minister called for strict compliance with public financial management system (PFMS) uploads and timely submission of action plans on the budget estimations, allocation & monitoring system (BEAMS).
He also called for the closure of all single nodal agency bank accounts relating to Centrally-sponsored schemes.
In view of the forthcoming visit of an Inter-Ministerial Central Team (IMCT) to assess damages, departments were asked to finalise comprehensive, sector-wise damage assessment reports to facilitate the assessment process, the spokesman said.
The chief minister also directed all departments to identify and prepare a robust shelf of encumbrance-free projects by March 2027 to facilitate timely tendering and smooth execution during FY 2027-28.
He stressed advance planning and close inter-department coordination to ensure that the next year’s SASCI plan is finalised well in time.
Reviewing the performance for FY 2025-26, the meeting was told that against an overall allocation of Rs 5,166.46 crore, comprising untied funds, shares for Centrally-sponsored schemes, incentive-based allocations and disaster management components, an expenditure of Rs 3,367.64 crore had been incurred, the spokesman said.
He said the meeting was also told that the state executive committee has approved Rs 1,416 crore for post-disaster needs assessment across social, infrastructure, productive and cross-cutting sectors, against a National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) ceiling of Rs 1,534.58 crore.
An amount of Rs 424.79 crore has been proposed for immediate release, the spokesman said.
For FY 2026-27, he said, Rs 811 crore is available under SASCI Part-I united funds, including Rs 541 crore in current-year receipts and Rs 270 crore carried forward as unutilised funds from the previous financial year.
Departments have been assigned an expenditure target of Rs 608 crore to qualify for the second instalment, he said.
Under Part-II, relating to Centrally-sponsored schemes, J&K has received Rs 116 crore, constituting 66 per cent of the Rs 176 crore SASCI loan assistance sought for 10 major schemes linked to J&K, he said.
The spokesman said the meeting also reviewed the J&K administration’s efforts to leverage an incentive-based funding pool of Rs 2,890.51 crore available for FY 2026-27, linked to governance reforms, improved financial management and sector-specific performance benchmarks.
Significant progress was reported under the Digital Public Infrastructure for Agriculture initiative (AgriStack), with 7.59 lakh farmer IDs generated, representing 59 per cent of the target.
A digital crop survey has been completed in 5,714 villages, covering 83.3 per cent of the target and more than 30.27 lakh land parcels, he said.
The pilot distribution of AgriStack-enabled fertilisers through farmer IDs commenced on November 5 in Jammu and Srinagar districts, the spokesman said.
Abdullah emphasised that SASCI should be leveraged not merely as a special funding window but also as a strategic instrument for accelerating capital investment, strengthening public infrastructure and improving governance outcomes across Jammu and Kashmir.
He underscored the importance of timely execution, efficient financial management and sustained coordination among departments to maximise the benefits available under the scheme, the spokesman said.
