UDHAMPUR, OCTOBER 14: Accusing the Jammu and Kashmir Government of failing to capitalise on the unprecedented financial and developmental support extended by the Government of India, senior BJP leader and MLA Udhampur East, Ranbir Singh Pathania, today said that the Union Territory was in danger of missing a historic opportunity to transform its developmental landscape due to administrative inertia, inadequate financial management and lack of accountability and work culture.
Pathania said that while Bharat Sarkar has extended substantial support to Jammu and Kashmir, the benefits of such assistance must be reflected in improved infrastructure, better public services, employment opportunities and tangible relief for the common people. He expressed concern that considerable financial resources reportedly remained unutilised even as several departments continued to struggle with implementation and delivery.
Referring to reports regarding approximately ₹34,000 crore in unspent funds and observations of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), Pathania said that the situation called for serious introspection, corrective measures and accountability within the administrative machinery.
He observed that the real test of governance was not the announcement of allocations or the preparation of ambitious budgets, but the capacity to utilise public money efficiently and convert it into development on the ground.
“Despite voluminous financial and developmental support from Bharat Sarkar, Jammu and Kashmir cannot afford to squander this golden opportunity. Public money is meant to improve the lives of people, create durable infrastructure and strengthen essential services. If funds remain unspent while people continue to face difficulties relating to roads, drinking water, electricity and healthcare, the entire purpose of developmental allocations stands defeated,” Pathania said.
He said that the reported financial underutilisation raised important questions about planning, prioritisation, departmental preparedness and monitoring. At a time when Jammu and Kashmir required accelerated investment in infrastructure and public services, administrative inefficiencies could have far-reaching consequences for the region’s economic progress.
Pathania also drew attention to audit observations concerning the functioning of various departments, asserting that concerns relating to financial irregularities and administrative shortcomings must be addressed with seriousness. He called for an institutional mechanisms to examine audit observations, fix responsibility wherever lapses were established and ensure that corrective action was taken within a defined timeframe.
Mr Pathania further flagged concerns relating to outsourcing of manpower and the manner in which staffing requirements across departments were being managed. He stressed the need for transparency, rationalisation and accountability in manpower deployment, while ensuring that essential public services did not suffer and the legitimate concerns of those engaged in service delivery received due consideration.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir deserve governance that delivers results, not merely figures on paper. Every unspent rupee represents a potential road not built, a facility not strengthened or a public need left unattended. The administration must introspect, correct its course and ensure that the support extended by the Union Government translates into visible progress on the ground,” Pathania asserted.
Later in the day, Pathania laid the foundation stones of two development projects in Udhampur East, involving a combined outlay of ₹89.03 lakh, reaffirming his commitment to strengthening grassroots infrastructure and addressing the developmental needs of rural communities.
The projects include the construction of a First Aid Centre for Animal Husbandry at Panchayat Roun-I, Udhampur, at a tendered cost of ₹69.03 lakh, and the construction of a road from Baba Mahadev Mandir to Village Barneah (Phase-I), Block Tikri, under the UT Capex 2026–27 scheme, at an approved cost of ₹20 lakh.
Both projects are being undertaken through the PWD (R&B) Division, Udhampur.
The proposed Animal Husbandry First Aid Centre is expected to improve access to veterinary assistance for livestock owners in the surrounding areas. In a predominantly rural landscape, where animal husbandry constitutes an important component of household livelihoods, the facility is expected to strengthen access to basic animal healthcare and provide support to farming families.
The road project connecting Baba Mahadev Mandir with Village Barneah is aimed at improving rural connectivity, easing the movement of residents and facilitating access to the surrounding habitations. The project is also expected to benefit people visiting the religious destination and contribute to local socio-economic activity.
Speaking on the occasion, Pathania said that infrastructure development remained central to his vision of transforming Udhampur East into a model constituency. He emphasised that the developmental process must reach every Panchayat and habitation, irrespective of geographical location, and that public expenditure must result in durable assets and meaningful improvements in people’s lives.
He said that the constituency’s development agenda encompassed road connectivity, healthcare, drinking water, electricity, education, agriculture, animal husbandry and the creation of livelihood opportunities.
Pathania stressed that quality construction, timely completion and effective monitoring were essential to ensure that developmental projects delivered their intended benefits. He also called for close coordination between the concerned departments and local representatives to ensure that public requirements were reflected in developmental planning.
Pathania also met several public delegations at his office and held interactions with residents regarding issues concerning drinking water, electricity, healthcare and other essential civic amenities.
The visiting delegations apprised him of difficulties being faced by people in their respective areas and sought his intervention for the early resolution of pending grievances.
Taking note of the representations, Pathania sought feedback from the residents on the prevailing ground situation and took up the issues with the concerned authorities, calling for immediate relief wherever feasible and expeditious action on matters requiring departmental intervention.
He emphasised that public representatives must remain accessible to the people and that governance must be responsive to their day-to-day concerns. He called for coordinated efforts by the concerned departments to address genuine grievances and ensure that deficiencies in essential services were rectified without avoidable delay.
Among those present were Lalita Sharma and Ashish Sharma, both Mandal Pradhans, besides Suraj, Madan Lal, Jagannath Sharma, Janu, Harvinder and a large number of local residents.
