Nearly 87 per cent of the funds allocated for tribal welfare schemes in Jammu and Kashmir during the current financial year remain unutilised, officials in the Tribal Affairs Department said.
According to the official figures, an amount of Rs 135.33 crore were released under various centrally sponsored and UT sector schemes for the welfare of the tribals in 2025–26, out of which only Rs 17.63 crore have been utilised so far, leaving Rs 117.69 crore unspent.
The officials said no expenditure has been made out of Rs 39.21 crore released under Dharti Abha Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan and Rs 14.99 crore under Post-Matric Scholarship to Scheduled Tribe students during the current financial year.
Similarly, Rs 3.18 crore released for Tribal Research Institute support remain unspent, while under Tribal Sub Plan only about Rs 35 lakh have been utilised out of the allocated Rs 6.80 crore.
Under the UT sector scheme for Infrastructure for Welfare of Tribals, Rs 65.36 crore were received, but only Rs 13.99 crore have been utilised till mid-February, leaving the bulk of funds unspent.
With regard to Pre-Matric Scholarship, the officials said 15371 students are to be covered under the scheme for which Rs 3.96 crore are projected during current financial year plan. However, no money was released.
With regard to Pradhan Mantri Adi Adarsh Gram Yojana (PMAAGY), an amount of over Rs 9.32 crore was available as unspent balance of previous years and same are being utilised by the district development commissioners as per the approved plan proposal by the Union Ministry of Tribal Affairs.
Out of this, an amount of Rs 6 crore has been utilised till now while the balance will be utilised by or before March 31, the officials said.
They said a provision of Rs 78 crore has also been made under the UT apex Budget for the welfare of tribal communities in the Union Territory.
An allocation of Rs 70 crore has been earmarked for creation and up-gradation of infrastructure aimed at improving access to education, health, housing, and other essential facilities for tribal populations against which which Rs 65.37 crore has been received from Finance Deparment (including the funds approved under SASCI for three projects (Hostels) and same has been released to District Development Commissioners, the officials said.
Under the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP), the officials said an allocation of Rs 8 crore has been provided for targeted interventions to ensure inclusive and need-based development of Scheduled Tribe communities, out of which Rs 6.80 crore have been released to DDCs.
They said the allocations are intended to supplement the Centrally Sponsored Schemes and to address critical infrastructure and development requirements of tribal communities in the Union Territory.