Jammu, Jan. 22 -- Emphasising fiscal discipline, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday directed all departments to submit well-structured, need-based proposals consistent with the government's development roadmap.

For the second consecutive day, Abdullah held consultations with several key departments to assess priorities, sectoral needs and development imperatives for the upcoming budget session of the J&K Legislative Assembly, scheduled to begin on February 02.

According to an official press release, the chief minister, who also holds the finance portfolio, chaired extensive deliberations with the departments of social welfare, health & medical education, school education, higher education, public works (roads & buildings), mining...