J&K Assembly Passes Landmark Grants for Key Departments; Satish Sharma Vows “Citizen-Centric” Progress
JAMMU | February 20, 2026 :- In a major legislative milestone, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly today passed budgetary grants for several pivotal departments following a robust day-long debate and a subsequent voice vote. The approved allocations include ₹7,462.91 lakh for Information Technology, ₹54,389.17 lakh for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs (FCS&CA), ₹3,798.68 lakh for ARI & Training, ₹12,646.11 lakh for Transport, ₹68,009.76 lakh for Youth Services & Sports (YSS), and ₹18,972.06 lakh for Science & Technology. Minister Satish Sharma, while winding up the discussion, hailed the “collective endeavour” of the House, emphasizing that constructive criticism from legislators acts as a guiding light for refining policy execution and ensuring that government services reach the last mile with greater transparency and purpose.
The Minister detailed several transformative initiatives, highlighting J&K’s leadership in the SMART Public Distribution System, which currently provides free food grains to over 67 lakh beneficiaries under the PMGKAY. He announced that the long-standing embargo on bifurcating ration cards is being addressed through data cleansing and e-KYC, with new card creation set to commence after April 2026. In the transport sector, Sharma revealed plans to introduce 200 new buses and transition toward “Green Mobility” by replacing aging diesel fleets with zero-emission vehicles. Meanwhile, the IT department is poised to establish IT Parks in Jammu and Srinagar and integrate multilingual “BHASHINI” technology into government platforms to make digital services more accessible to local speakers.
On the front of sports and social development, the Minister shared that over 60 lakh youth were engaged in sports activities this year, with the upcoming fiscal year prioritizing major infrastructure like the Khel Gaon in Nagrota and Srinagar. Highlighting a major relief for the workforce, he noted that a committee is currently examining the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission for JKRTC employees and the regularization of Rehbar-i-Khel candidates. Furthermore, the Science & Technology department continues to drive the UT toward a net-zero future, with 7,500 government buildings already solarized and a new Regional Science Centre nearing completion in Srinagar. Minister Sharma concluded by assuring the House that every suggestion raised by the members would be objectively examined to fulfill the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.