Omar Abdullah Unveils Major Overhaul of J&K Constituency Development Fund

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has announced sweeping reforms to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), giving legislators greater authority and flexibility to address local needs. The revised framework removes several financial limits and expands the range of permissible projects across power, health, education, and welfare sectors.

Under the new rules, MLAs can now recommend power development works without any upper cap, while the earlier Rs. 30 lakh ceiling has been scrapped. The Rs. 10 lakh limit on installing solar lights has also been removed. In the public health engineering sector, funds can now be used for purchasing mobile water tankers and household water connections. The education sector will allow the purchase of school vans and buses, while in health, the procurement of wheelchairs and motorized scooters has been approved.

A key reform enables legislators to allocate up to Rs. 50 lakh from their CDF for rehabilitation of families affected by natural calamities. Lawmakers from unaffected regions can also contribute up to Rs. 10 lakh to disaster-hit constituencies or the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. The previous requirement mandating MLAs to spend 80% of their annual allocation has been scrapped, allowing more flexible fund utilization.

The revamped scheme introduces new welfare categories, including grants up to Rs. 3 lakh for old age homes, shelters, orphanages, and youth clubs to purchase essential items and sports equipment. Up to Rs. 20 lakh can now be used to help economically weaker families, including drivers and BPL households, upgrade housing under a PMAY-style model.

These changes aim to make the CDF more inclusive, responsive, and impactful, empowering MLAs to directly support local development, disaster relief, and social welfare initiatives across Jammu and Kashmir.