MLAs in J&K to Receive Constituency Development Fund from Next Financial Year

MLAs in J&K to Receive Constituency Development Fund from Next Financial Year

Jammu, December 29: The Jammu and Kashmir Government is set to allocate a budgetary provision of ₹285 crore for the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) of Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) starting from the next financial year, beginning April 1, 2025.According to officials, MLAs will receive an annual CDF of ₹3 crore, the same amount that was allocated in 2018 before the dissolution of the Legislative Assembly. However, no provision has been made for CDF disbursement in the remaining months of the current financial year due to the absence of a Legislative Assembly when the annual budget for 2024-25 was approved by Parliament.The funds will be utilized to support developmental activities in constituencies. Guidelines outlining sectoral spending limits will be released alongside the CDF. The Government has clarified that the amount allocated per MLA will not be reduced but remains unlikely to see an increase due to adequate funding already provided to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), Urban Local Bodies (ULBs), and District Development Councils (DDCs).Jammu and Kashmir currently has a 90-member Assembly, with two vacancies in Nagrota and Budgam expected to be filled before April 2025. In addition, five MLAs may be nominated, representing women, Kashmiri migrants, and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) refugees. Nominated MLAs, despite not having a constituency, will be allowed to identify a segment for utilizing the CDF.Meanwhile, MLA salaries have been released under the existing guidelines from 2018. Each legislator currently earns ₹1.6 lakh per month, including ₹80,000 as salary and ₹80,000 as allowances. The Assembly retains the authority to propose any hike in salaries or allowances through legislative approval.The move marks the first allocation of the CDF since the Legislative Council was dissolved in 2019 following the abrogation of Article 370. Previously, Members of the Legislative Council (MLCs) also received equal CDFs.This decision highlights the Government’s efforts to balance developmental funding across constituencies while maintaining resources for other elected bodies like PRIs and ULBs.