In a major announcement during the presentation of Jammu Kashmir’s first full-fledged budget since the abrogation of Article 370, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah declared 200 units of free electricity for families under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) category and free bus rides for women in government-owned transport services and electric buses across the region.
Speaking during the budget session of the newly restored Assembly, Abdullah said the initiatives aim to provide much-needed relief to the most economically vulnerable sections of society, who continue to struggle amid rising living costs and erratic power supply, while also promoting women’s mobility and empowerment through free public transport.
“This is the first people’s budget after years of disempowerment. Providing 200 units of free electricity to AAY families is a step towards addressing the basic needs of our poorest citizens,” Abdullah said while unveiling the proposal.
The Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) is a central government scheme launched in 2000 with the aim of identifying the “poorest of the poor” households across India. These families are entitled to highly subsidized food grains and other essential support.
AAY beneficiaries typically include landless agricultural laborers, marginal farmers, rural artisans, and people earning below a certain income threshold with no assured means of livelihood. In Jammu and Kashmir, thousands of families are registered under the scheme and rely on government support to meet basic needs.
Abdullah said the free bus rides will apply to all women using government-operated buses and e-buses across Jammu Kashmir, a measure designed to ease travel expenses and encourage greater use of public transport.
This marks the first full budget of Jammu and Kashmir prepared under a democratically elected government after the region’s special status was revoked in August 2019, and the former state was downgraded into a Union Territory.
The restoration of the Assembly and the return of elected representatives to the legislature have brought public attention back to key welfare measures and promises of development.
Omar Abdullah, whose party campaigned heavily on promises of relief from high electricity bills and inflation, said these welfare initiatives are just the beginning. “We will continue to prioritize the needs of the common people, especially those who have been most affected in recent years,” he added.
Further details on the rollout of the free electricity and free transport schemes, including budgetary allocations and timelines for implementation, are expected to be shared in the coming days.