Centre announces Rs 5,000 cr special package for J&K; focus on waste management, infrastructure

Suhail Khan

Srinagar, Mar 26: The Centre on Thursday approved a Rs 5,000-crore special assistance package for Jammu and Kashmir, in a move aimed at easing the Union Territory’s fiscal pressure while fast-tracking infrastructure projects, particularly in the solid waste management sector.

 

The package, cleared by the Union government, comes as J&K grapples with mounting budgetary demands and the need to complete a backlog of development projects. Of the total outlay, Rs 1,162.40 crore has been earmarked for the development of Integrated Solid Waste Management (ISWM) facilities across three key clusters — Anantnag-Mattan-Bijbehara, Kathua-Hiranagar-Parole-Lakhanpur, and Jammu (Zone-3).

 

Officials said the waste management projects are intended to bring scientific disposal mechanisms to urban areas, which have been struggling with growing sanitation challenges amid rapid urbanization.

 

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in a post on X, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the assistance. He said the funds would help consolidate the UT’s fiscal position, ease budgetary constraints and ensure timely completion of ongoing projects.

 

“This vital support will alleviate budgetary constraints, guarantee on-schedule project delivery and drive J&K’s robust economic growth by bolstering infrastructure and creating lasting opportunities for sustained prosperity,” LG Sinha said.

 

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the assistance as “timely and crucial”, stating that it would strengthen development initiatives and accelerate infrastructure and welfare works across the UT. The endorsement from both the Lt Governor and the Chief Minister — often seen as belonging to different political dispensations — underscored the significance of the package for the region’s administration.

 

The latest aid follows an earlier tranche of Rs 330.34 crore approved on March 13 by a High-Level Committee chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah. That package was meant to address damage caused by floods, landslides and cloudbursts in 2025, with a focus on immediate relief and restoration.

 

For the administration, which has been pushing to complete projects under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) and other central schemes, the fresh infusion is expected to provide some breathing room.

 

Officials said the funds would also help bridge gaps in civic infrastructure, particularly in urban local body areas where waste management has emerged as a critical concern.