Srinagar: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Thursday directed government departments to prepare a shelf of projects under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) for the next financial year and complete all requisite approvals and tendering processes in advance to ensure timely execution of works.
Chairing a meeting of Administrative Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners, Dulloo reviewed expenditure under Capital Expenditure (CAPEX), Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS), SASCI and NABARD-funded projects, besides assessing revenue generation across sectors.
He asked departments to secure administrative approvals, technical sanctions and complete tendering formalities well before the start of the next fiscal so that works can be allotted immediately after funds are released. He also directed departments to implement incentive-linked reforms under SASCI to enable J&K to access additional funding.
The Chief Secretary urged departments, including School Education, Jal Shakti, Higher Education, Culture, Science and Technology, Irrigation and Power, to identify priority projects that could be taken up under reform-linked funding.
Reviewing progress under UT and District CAPEX, Dulloo directed the Planning Department to submit weekly reports on tendering and allotment of works. He stressed that approved projects should move quickly from planning to execution and called for close monitoring of implementation.
Expressing concern over the financial health of the power sector, he directed the Power Development Department to constitute a committee under the Engineer-in-Chief to assess the performance of field functionaries in improving billing and collection efficiency. He also asked the department to develop a digital mechanism to track energy supply and consumption across the distribution network.
During the meeting, the Finance Department informed that project proposals worth ₹1,231 crore covering 219 projects have been mapped under SASCI Part-I for 2026-27, while assistance of ₹176 crore has been sought under SASCI Part-II for 10 critical schemes.
Officials said that under the District CAPEX Budget 2026-27, 42,219 of the 47,794 new works have received administrative approval, while around 13 per cent have been allotted. The total District CAPEX allocation stands at ₹1,236.08 crore across 20 districts, along with a special allocation of ₹3 crore per district.
The Finance Department also informed that the CSS CAPEX budget estimate for the current financial year stands at ₹10,632 crore, with Rural Development, Housing and Urban Development, and the Public Works Department accounting for the largest shares.
Regarding NABARD-funded projects, officials said 157 projects under RIDF XXVII to XXXI have been completed with a total disbursement of ₹2,301 crore. Additionally, 227 project proposals worth ₹1,288 crore have been prepared under RIDF-XXXII and departments have been given 15 days to upload them on the NABARD portal.
The meeting further reviewed revenue generation, with GST collections reaching ₹3,292.38 crore during 2026-27. J&K recorded a return filing rate of 96.78 per cent, higher than the national average of 95.73 per cent. Excise collections stood at ₹782 crore, while the Stamps and Registration Department generated ₹248.3 crore.
Officials also highlighted a fiscal gap of around ₹940 crore in the power sector, with power purchase costs estimated at ₹2,697 crore against receipts of ₹1,747 crore.
