Centre opens ₹57,000 cr SASCI reform-linked window: J&K eyes major share for urban, mining sectors

SRINAGAR: In a significant move aimed at accelerating the developmental momentum and catalysing key sectoral reforms, Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a high-level meeting to discuss the adoption and implementation of Government of India’s transformative scheme, Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI).

Launched by the Government of India in 2021-22 for States and made applicable to J&K UT from the current financial year. SASCI offers a unique opportunity for states and UTs to ramp up their capital expenditure through 50-year interest-free loans, thereby enabling them to invest in critical infrastructure and usher in systemic reforms across ten identified sectors.

The meeting was attended by Administrative heads of all the major departments along with other senior officers.

Dulloo reiterated that alignment with the SASCI scheme is not only fiscally prudent but strategically vital for addressing the long-standing infrastructure gaps across key sectors. He directed the departments to adopt a mission-mode approach and submit their proposals to the Finance Department for seeking necessary approvals from Central Government.

He directed all the departments to immediately identify the ongoing and time-bound projects that can be completed within the current financial year. He also stressed on identifying the iconic tourism related infrastructure to be raised under this scheme as this is one of the goals set under it.

Emphasising added attention to sectors that have remained infrastructure-deficient, Dulloo specifically emphasized the Mining, Urban Development and Transport as focus areas. These sectors not only hold vast untapped potential but also require urgent capital infusion to bridge critical infrastructure gaps found in these vital sectors, he noted.

Further underlining the fiscal accountability and transparency, the Chief Secretary directed that all the 122 Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) should be transitioned to the Single Nodal Agency – SPARSH platform by November 2025, aligning with the sunset deadline set by the Ministry of Finance.

Principal Secretary Finance, Santosh D. Vaidya, highlighted that the UT is eligible for Rs 1200 crore under the “Untied” component of the scheme. He mentioned that this portion has been allocated on the basis of tax devolution and is part of the national outlay of Rs 57,000 Cr under SASCI.

It was laid out that the scheme included multiple reform-driven components with specific fund allocations for targeted interventions. These included Rs 10,000 crore earmarked for States/UTs as their share for Centrally Sponsored Schemes and projects, with J&K eligible to secure about Rs 210 crore under this head.

Similarly, Rs 15,000 crore had been dedicated to promote affordable housing, comprehensive mobility and Blue-Green urban infrastructure, laying the foundation for sustainable urbanisation in emerging cities like Jammu and Srinagar.

Likewise, an amount of Rs 5,000 crore had been earmarked for the financing reforms in Urban Local Bodies, aimed at enhancing the governance and service delivery at the grassroots level. The scheme also provisions Rs 15,000 crore as incentives for states demonstrating year-on-year capital expenditure growth, offering an added push for infrastructure investment.

The Central government had also proposed Rs 3,000 crore to promote the scrapping of old government vehicles, including ambulances over 15 years old. The scheme encourages the states to offer tax waivers, scrap-age incentives, and establish automated vehicle testing infrastructure.

With respect to mining sector reforms, Rs 5,000 crore had been put aside by central government where J&K is poised to tap into its substantial portion.

Moreover, Rs 11,000 crore and Rs 5,000 crore, respectively had been fixed for the land-related reforms in rural and urban areas, with the goal of digitizing the land records and improving tenure security.

Additionally, Rs 6,000 crore would be spent to bolster financial management reforms, including universal adoption of the SNA-SPARSH system across all schemes for increased transparency, real-time monitoring and just-in time releases by the central government. Besides, an amount of Rs18,000 crore are going to be received by the States/UTs for comprehensive urban planning reforms, which would support integrated master planning, inclusive zoning, and resilience-focused development.

The scheme also included an amount of Rs 5,000 crore to establish the Children and Adolescent Libraries across the Panchayats and wards. These libraries would have digital infrastructure to access resources from the National Digital Library, a move that promises to revolutionise the community-level education access in J&K.