December Salaries Withheld as Revised Budget Approval Delays Hit School Teachers in Jammu

Jammu, Jan 18: Thousands of teachers working under the School Education Department in Jammu Division are yet to receive their salaries for December, leading to growing concern and dissatisfaction among the teaching fraternity.

Officials attributed the delay to the pending approval and release of the revised budget for the financial year 2025–26, which is reportedly still under consideration at various administrative levels.

Sources in the department said the revised budget could not be finalized and submitted on time due to procedural lapses at both the Directorate of School Education Jammu and the Secretariat. They explained that inaccuracies in the B4 Budget projections—caused by incorrect data submitted earlier by the Directorate—necessitated revisions. Subsequent delays in processing the revised estimates at the Secretariat level further slowed the movement of files, resulting in the budget not being approved so far.

Due to the absence of the revised budget allocation, Drawing and Disbursing Officers (DDOs) have been unable to generate salary bills for December. As a result, a large number of employees, including Teachers, Masters, Lecturers and other teaching cadres, remain unpaid.

The delay has added to the financial stress of teachers, many of whom were depending on their December salaries to manage year-end expenses and personal financial obligations.

Teachers’ unions have strongly criticized the situation, blaming administrative negligence for the hardship faced by employees. Union representatives said salaries are a legitimate entitlement and warned that continued delays could lead to protests if the issue is not resolved promptly.

Meanwhile, officials in the department’s finance wing assured that the matter is receiving due attention and that salary disbursement would be expedited once the revised budget for 2025–26 is approved and communicated.

As per established financial procedures, departments submit projected estimates of revenue and expenditure for each financial year, based on which the Finance Department approves the B4 Budget. If required, revised estimates can be submitted during November or December to address shortfalls or changes. These revised proposals are then scrutinized and approved by the Finance Ministry before funds are released.