Jammu, Feb 20: The Jammu and Kashmir government has disbursed over Rs 1,157 crore to more than six lakh beneficiaries under its Marriage Assistance and Ladli Beti schemes in the last three financial years, even as bills worth over Rs 270 crore remain pending clearance at the treasury, the government informed the legislative assembly on Friday.
Responding to a query from PDP MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para, the Social Welfare Department as per Kashmir Convener tabled a detailed, district-wise breakdown of coverage and expenditure for the financial years 2023-24, 2024-25, and the current fiscal (2025-26) up to date.
According to the data, the Marriage Assistance Scheme maintained a steady coverage of 26,000 beneficiaries in both 2023-24 and 2024-25, with Rs 130 crore disbursed each year. However, in the current financial year, the coverage has increased sharply to 44,301 beneficiaries, for which Rs 234 crore has been released.
Officials said this figure includes bills amounting to Rs 70.08 crore currently pending in the treasury for payment.
District-wise data for the current fiscal indicates that Anantnag district received the highest number of beneficiaries under the scheme at 4,308, followed closely by Budgam (4,255), Baramulla (3,855), and Kupwara (3,426). Srinagar district accounts for 2,504 beneficiaries, while Kathua has 2,449.
Under the Ladli Beti Scheme, which aims to improve the child sex ratio and promote education for girls, the number of sanctioned beneficiaries grew from 1,41,085 in 2023-24 to 1,76,126 in 2024-25. For the ongoing financial year, the government has sanctioned a cumulative 1,98,024 beneficiaries, with Rs 300 crore disbursed so far.
The data revealed a pendency of Rs 200 crore in bills lying in the treasury under this scheme. The minister clarified that these funds are meant to be transferred into a pool account maintained by J&K Bank for further disbursement to the sanctioned beneficiaries.
The total disbursement for both schemes over the three-year period stands at Rs 1,157.75 crore, covering approximately 6,12,436 beneficiaries across the union territory.
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