JAMMU, April 6, 2026 : The Comptroller and Auditor General of India has raised serious concerns over Jammu & Kashmir’s financial management, revealing that excess expenditure worth ₹1.24 lakh crore since 1980 is still pending legislative approval.
According to the latest audit report, the spending—incurred between 1980-81 and 2019-20—has not been regularised due to the failure to place appropriation accounts before the Public Accounts Committee for scrutiny.
The report warns that such prolonged delays in regularisation undermine budgetary discipline and weaken financial control systems, potentially encouraging mismanagement of public funds.
The excess expenditure spans 543 grants and appropriations, with significant overruns recorded in the early 2000s, including:
- ₹12,954 crore in 2005-06
- ₹9,770 crore in 2003-04
Even in the final year before J&K’s reorganisation into Union Territories in 2019, excess spending of over ₹5,300 crore was recorded.
The government’s Finance Department has termed this a “legacy issue”, assuring that steps will be taken to regularise the expenditure through the legislature.
However, the CAG has stressed that decades-long inaction erodes transparency and accountability, making it crucial for authorities to address the backlog urgently.
