Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Oct 29: In a major move to empower legislators and speed up constituency-level development, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today announced reforms to the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) scheme, removing spending caps on power and solar projects and expanding the scope of permissible works.
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Speaking during the Zero Hour of the ongoing Autumn Session of the J&K Legislative Assembly, the Chief Minister said the revised guidelines aim to make the scheme “more flexible, transparent and people-centric,” aligning it with the Member of Parliament Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) to ensure uniformity and wider developmental reach.
“The alignment with MPLADS will allow our Members to execute projects that bring tangible benefits to the people-just as MPs are able to do under their scheme,” Omar said.
Under the new norms, Rs 50 lakh ceiling on power infrastructure works and Rs 10 lakh cap on solar light installations have been scrapped, allowing MLAs to sanction projects in these sectors without any upper limit.
Several new categories of works have also been added, including the purchase of school vans and buses, distribution of mobility aids such as wheelchairs, tricycles and e-scooties, and procurement of mobile water tankers to improve accessibility in rural and hilly areas.
To assist families affected by natural calamities, MLAs will now be able to use up to Rs 50 lakh from their CDF allocations for construction or repair of damaged houses during 2025-26 and 2026-27.
In another key reform, the earlier clause mandating the use of at least 80% of CDF funds in a financial year for subsequent release has been deleted, giving legislators greater operational flexibility.
The revised guidelines retain unique social welfare provisions under CDF, including assistance to orphanages and old-age homes (up to Rs 3 lakh), support to sports clubs for equipment purchases, and funding of up to Rs 20 lakh for upgrading houses of tribal and BPL families under PMAY norms.
“These changes are intended to make the CDF scheme more inclusive, responsive and development-oriented, ensuring that our MLAs are empowered to directly address the needs of their people,” Abdullah said.
The Chief Minister said that members can further submit their suggestions.
He added that the Government’s aim is to ensure legislators can directly address local needs, especially in sectors like power, education, and healthcare, where demand has been rising.
“I hope there will be greater and more effective use of CDF funds. If there are suggestions, we will consider them. Let these guidelines be implemented first – we will review the rest later,” he said.
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