Jammu and Kashmir’s move towards linking its annual budget with the Sustainable Development Goals is a step in the right direction. For too long, public spending has often been discussed in terms of allocations, releases and expenditure. What matters more to citizens is whether that money improves schools, healthcare, livelihoods, water supply, social protection and opportunities in their own districts.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo’s direction to prepare an SDG-wise roadmap is important because it asks departments to look beyond routine budgeting. The aim should be to understand what each scheme is actually achieving, where gaps still remain and what additional support is needed to meet development targets. The proposed UNDP framework can help bring greater clarity to this process. By linking schemes with specific SDGs, integrating them with IFMIS and introducing outcome monitoring, the Government can begin to see more clearly where public money is producing results and where course correction is required. This is particularly relevant in Jammu and Kashmir, where development needs vary from district to district. A uniform approach cannot address every local challenge. District-level tracking can help identify areas that are doing well, areas that are falling behind and sectors that need more focused investment. The Government has also rightly stressed convergence. Many development goals cannot be achieved by one department working alone. Better health outcomes may depend on clean water, sanitation, nutrition and education. Employment may depend on skills, credit, and infrastructure and market access. Bringing these efforts together can make public spending more effective. The progress already made is encouraging. As presented during the Government review, Jammu and Kashmir’s SDG score improved from 53 in 2018 to 74 in 2023-24, a gain of 21 points. That improvement shows that the region has built a useful foundation, but the next stage should focus on the quality and durability of outcomes. The challenge now is to ensure that SDG budgeting does not become a technical exercise that looks impressive in reports but has little effect on implementation. Departments should not simply attach an SDG label to existing schemes. Each programme should have a clear purpose, a defined target group and a realistic measure of success. The proposed digital platform can be useful if it is kept current and used actively. Department-wise and district-wise data should help decision-makers identify weak areas early. Quarterly reviews can also make it easier to shift attention and resources before problems become larger. Capacity building will be just as important. Officers at the district and departmental levels need to understand how to work with indicators, measure outcomes and use data for planning. Without that practical understanding, even a strong policy framework can remain underused. The Government should also keep citizens at the centre of this exercise. People do not experience SDGs as numbers. They experience them through better schools, safer drinking water, accessible healthcare, improved incomes and fairer public services.
The proposed framework deserves strong support because it can make budgeting more purposeful, transparent and closely tied to development outcomes. Its success, however, will depend on whether departments change the way they plan, prioritise, spend and review public money. The Government should set clear SDG-wise targets, fix annual milestones, publish district-level progress reports and hold departments accountable for persistent gaps. Funds should be redirected towards underperforming sectors, remote areas and vulnerable communities where development deficits remain highest. Independent outcome audits, stronger data verification and periodic public disclosure can prevent the exercise from becoming a paper-based compliance mechanism. Departments should also be required to explain major deviations between spending and results. Capacity building must continue at district and departmental levels, while citizen feedback should become part of performance assessment. Jammu and Kashmir will benefit most when every rupee is judged by measurable improvement it delivers in people’s lives and public welfare.