Rs 52217 lakh allocated, Rs 29266 lakh utilized in 2 yrs
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 30: The Jammu and Kashmir Government’s tall claims of promoting tourism as a key driver of economic revival stand exposed with official data revealing an alarming mismatch between allocations and actual spending by major tourism agencies during the past two financial years. The prevailing situation clearly points to a lack of fiscal discipline and growing administrative inefficiency.
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Official figures presented by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is also Minister Incharge Tourism, in the Legislative Assembly today in reply to a question by BJP MLA Ranbir Singh Pathania, show that massive funds meant for tourism infrastructure have either remained unspent or been only partially utilized, underscoring the absence of effective planning, monitoring and financial discipline.
During 2023-24, an allocation of Rs 25375 lakh was made and fully released but actual expenditure stood at just Rs 12863.43 lakh—-a meager 50.7% utilization. The trend continued in 2024-25 as well. Out of Rs 26842.50 lakh allocated and received, only Rs 16363.46 lakh was spent reflecting 61% utilization.
The breakdown reveals a disturbing pattern across nearly every implementing agency. Director Tourism Kashmir, a key agency for destination promotion, spent only Rs 475.90 lakh out of Rs 2000 lakh in 2023-24 and Rs 779.90 lakh of Rs 2370.87 lakh in 2024-25—just 24% and 33% utilization respectively.
Director Tourism Jammu fared slightly better utilizing 42% and 73% of its allocations in the two fiscal years. During 2023-24, utilization was Rs 928.01 lakh against allocation of Rs 2200 lakh while as during 2024-25, Rs 1465.50 lakh were utilized against receipt of Rs 2007.51 lakh.
J&K Tourism Development Corporation (JKTDC), responsible for critical infrastructure and hospitality projects, spent 37% of its 2023-24 funds and only 32% during 2024-25 financial year. The expenditure during 2023-24 was Rs 558.39 lakh against receipt of Rs 1500 lakh while as during 2024-25, Rs 255.63 lakh were spent against receipt of Rs 800 lakh.
Even prestigious destinations like Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam reflect inconsistent trends: Pahalgam Development Authority utilized Rs 279.05 lakh against receipt of Rs 500 lakh during 2023-24 and spent Rs 363 lakh against receipt of Rs 600 lakh during 2024-25. Gulmarg Development Authority utilized Rs 304.59 lakh against availability of Rs 500 lakh during 2023-24 and Rs 300 lakh against receipt of Rs 600 lakh during 2024-2025. Sonamarg Development Authority was released Rs 700 lakh and Rs 600 lakh respectively during 2023-24 and 2024-25 while as expenditure remained Rs 357 lakh and Rs 395 lakh respectively.
Other agencies, including Kokernag Development Authority, Patnitop Development Authority, Royal Springs Golf Course, Jammu Tawi Golf Course and Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC), also displayed erratic spending patterns-raising red flags over project execution and fund management.
Patnitop Development Authority was released Rs 500 lakh each during 2023-24 and 2024-25 financial years. However, expenditure was only Rs 111.19 lakh and Rs 285 lakh respectively.
Particularly striking is the case of the Tourism Works Plan, which was Rs 5000 lakh during 2023-24 and Rs 4000 lakh during 2024-25. However, expenditure was Rs 698 lakh during 2023-24 and Rs 2059 lakh during 2024-25.
The consistent under-utilization of funds has raised serious questions about governance, planning and accountability within J&K’s tourism administration. “While the Government continues to brand tourism as an economic growth engine, the reality is these agencies are sitting on unspent crores of rupees”, sources said, adding “this is not just inefficiency, it’s a lost opportunity for job creation and local development”.
Ironically, while budgetary allocations have steadily risen from Rs 25375 lakh in 2023-24 to Rs 26842.50 lakh, the utilization rate has not kept pace. Key agencies continue to lag far behind, turning ambitious projects into paperwork rather than tangible assets.
“The lack of timely project execution has stalled much-needed upgrades to critical tourist circuits, amenities and infrastructure”, stakeholders said, adding “this trend will undermine the Union Territory’s ability to compete with other destinations”.
They stressed that without stringent financial discipline, real-time monitoring and inter-agency coordination, the tourism sector will remain trapped in a cycle of poor execution despite generous funding.
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