J&K govt accountable for every rupee spent on ground after revoking Article 370: FM Sitharaman

Asserting that abrogation of Article 370 was the biggest favour to the people for a transparent, accountable and democratised government in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday said the territorial administration is now accountable for every rupee that is deployed on the ground.

She further said the entire administration in the Union Territory is now visible to every person of Jammu and Kashmir to see what is going on here. "For that (bringing discipline, fiscal management and financial health of J&K), I would honestly thank the abrogation of Article 370. I

If that (Article 370) was an obstruction for bringing in a transparent, accountable and democratised government, we have done ourselves a biggest favour by that abrogation," Sitharaman told a press conference at Raj Bhawan in the evening.


The finance minister was replying to a volley of questions about gross indiscipline of fiscal management and ailing economic health, the biggest problems faced by J&K after terrorism due to backdoor appointments, overdrafts, delayed projects, parking of money and corruption during previous governments. "I think in the last two years (after abrogation of Article 370), the work that has happened is absolutely stunning," she said.

Sitharaman said the procurements, recruitments and spending of its resources, taxation and employment of resources by the government are available online 24x7. "The transparent processes in recruitments. Even recruitment to junior-most levels has been completely rid of backdoor operations.