As J&K Govt allocates ₹ 466.84 cr to state hospitality & protocol in 2025 Budget; citizens raise questions

By: Sumit Chawla

Srinagar: The Jammu & Kashmir government has allocated a substantial ₹466.84 crore for the Hospitality, Protocol & Estates Department in the 2025-26 fiscal budget, a move that has sparked debate in political and civil society circles over the government’s spending priorities. This revelation has drawn scrutiny from netizens, opposition leaders and the general public alike questioning if the people’s tax money deserved to be spent on hospitality in such a big way.

J&K’s Hospitality and Protocol Department, historically known as the “Tawaza Department,” is responsible for catering to VVIPs, state guests, and visiting dignitaries while maintaining state-owned guesthouses and managing official visits.

On March 20, 2025, the J&K Legislative Assembly passed grants amounting to Rs. 46,683.86 lakh (approximately Rs. 466.84 crore) for Hospitality, Protocol & Estates for the fiscal year 2025-26.

Dividing this annual allocation by 12 months yields roughly Rs. 38.9 crore per month.

Recent reports suggested that J&K incurs about ₹12 crore monthly expenditure on catering, accommodation, transportation, and protocol services alone, which, observers believe, is a substantial burden for a resource constrained state like J&K.

The latest budgetary allocation has triggered heated exchanges in the J&K Legislative Assembly, where opposition leaders questioned whether such a large sum was justified amid high unemployment and economic challenges. Several opposition leaders criticized the spending, arguing that public funds should be redirected toward job creation and social welfare rather than what he termed as extravagant hospitality costs.

During the budget session, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who also heads the Hospitality & Protocol portfolio, acknowledged the expenditure but defended it as a standard government practice. He emphasized that state hospitality is essential for protocol obligations and that efforts are being made to optimize government assets to reduce costs.

What is the actual breakdown of this expenditure?

While the exact itemized spending details remain undisclosed, available figures suggest that the ₹12 crore monthly cost is focused on hospitality and protocol activities, separate from estate maintenance and administrative expenses. Notably, between 2022-2025, the government spent ₹15 crore on chartered planes, averaging ₹41.67 lakh per month—a fraction of the overall hospitality expenditure.

Transparency concerns & public reaction

Critics argue that the lack of detailed financial breakdowns raises concerns about transparency and accountability. While the government has justified the spending as essential for state operations, many believe that greater scrutiny is needed to ensure efficient resource utilization.

“As Jammu & Kashmir navigates its post-2019 economic landscape, this level of government expenditure on hospitality is likely to remain under close public and political watch, with calls for greater fiscal responsibility and reassessment of priorities”, Nadeem Sheikh, a political activist said.