Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir has been allocated ₹43,290.29 crore in the Union Budget 2026–27 under transfers from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), marking only a marginal increase from ₹41,340.22 crore in the revised estimates of the previous financial year, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Home Affairs has noted.
The allocation comes at a time when the overall budget of the MHA has seen a steady rise, touching ₹2,61,339.60 crore for 2026–27—an increase over both the Budget Estimates and Revised Estimates of 2025–26. However, the Committee has observed that the increase in transfers to Union Territories like Jammu and Kashmir remains relatively modest in comparison to the broader expansion in internal security and policing expenditure.
According to the report, allocations for Union Territories with legislatures—including Jammu and Kashmir—are largely in the form of grants and loans released quarterly, with limited direct involvement of the MHA in scrutinising or implementing schemes. This structural arrangement, the panel indicates, restricts the Ministry’s role to fund disbursement rather than outcome monitoring.
The Committee further noted that the total allocation for all Union Territories stands at ₹70,861.50 crore in 2026–27, accounting for over 27 percent of the MHA’s total budget. While this reflects an overall increase in funding to UTs, the rise is distributed across multiple territories, diluting the relative share of individual regions such as Jammu and Kashmir.
At the same time, the report underscores a significant rise in allocations under key heads such as police modernisation and internal security, with ₹1,74,873.63 crore earmarked for police forces alone. The Committee interprets this as a continued prioritisation of security expenditure over administrative or developmental transfers.
The panel also flagged utilisation patterns, noting that while police-related expenditure has remained robust, spending under certain administrative heads has been comparatively lower, raising concerns about efficiency and timely deployment of funds.
Despite acknowledging the upward trend in overall budgetary allocations to the MHA over the years, the Committee emphasised the need for more targeted and outcome-driven funding for Union Territories. It stressed that increasing allocations alone may not translate into tangible improvements unless accompanied by better utilisation and monitoring mechanisms.
