SHIMLA 11 Feb 2026

BJP plundered State coffers for their lavishness

· Previous BJP received Rs. 54296 crore under RDG as compared to Rs. 17563 crore by the present government during last 3 years

In a scathing statement issued today Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu accused the previous BJP government of plundering the state coffers and spending lavishly instead of investing in development or essential infrastructure. The Chief Minister questioned the BJP’s defense of the 16th Finance Commission’s observations regarding the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) pointing out that the BJP tenure benefited from a massive Rs. 54296 crore in RDG. This grant which accounted for 25 to 30 percent of the state's total revenue receipts along with Rs.16000 crore in GST compensation was allegedly utilized for political stabilization and freebies rather than addressing the state's long-term fiscal health.

The Chief Minister detailed a stark contrast in the financial support received by the two administrations noting that while the BJP received over Rs.54296 crore across five years the current government has been provided only Rs.17563 crore in the last three years, nearly half of the previous allocation.

Detailing, he said that the BJP got Rs. 8449 crore in 2018-19 during the 14^th Finance Commission as RDG, Rs. 8271 crore in 2019-20, Rs. 8062 crore in 2020-21 besides Rs. 11431 as interim Grant, Rs. 7834 crore in the year 2021-22 and Rs 10249 crore in 2022-23 by 15^th Finance Commission, totaling Rs. 54296 crore.

Whereas the present congress government just got Rs. 8058 crore in the year 2023-24 during the 15^th Finance commission, Rs. 6258 crore in 2024-25 and Rs. 3257 crore in 2025-26, totaling Rs. 17563 crore, which is almost less than half of the amount the BJP got in the form of RDG.

Despite the substantial funds available to them, the BJP government failed to disburse employee arrears or announce Dearness Allowance (DA). Furthermore the Chief Minister highlighted that the previous regime did not invest significantly in health infrastructure a sector the current government is now prioritizing with a Rs.3000 crore modernization plan and an additional Rs.1300 crore under JICA Phase-II to upgrade healthcare delivery systems.

The fiscal landscape inherited in December 2022 was described as one defined by a massive accumulation of debt and deferred financial commitments. By the end of the BJP's term the state's total outstanding debt had surged to approximately Rs.76185 crore an increase of nearly Rs.28000 crore in just five years. This burden was exacerbated by a Rs.10000 crore liability in revised pay scale arrears and DA which the Chief Minister labeled a 'last-minute' political maneuver performed without any budgetary provisions. This 'opening spree' of over 900 institutions in the final six months of the BJP tenure created an additional annual unfunded liability of Rs.5000 crore forcing the current government to de-notify many of these units to prevent total economic collapse.

Concluding his remarks Chief Minister Sukhu stated that the BJP's current "hue and cry" over the state's fiscal position is hypocritical given their history of vandalizing the state's treasury. He emphasized that while the present government is successfully introducing advanced medical technologies like robotic surgery and mulls starting bone marrow transplant centers in IGMC.

He said that the BJP leaders were personally invited to understand the fiscal health of the State in the presentation given on Sunday but they remain focused on attending functions rather than giving importance to States fiscal health and the welfare and interests of the people of Himachal Pradesh.

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Instead of targeting me, meet the PM over RDG issue, CM to BJP leaders

CM says Chidambaram assured to take up RDG issue, sought more details

Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while interacting with the media after arriving in Shimla from Delhi, said that BJP leaders should champion the interests of the people of the state on the issue of the withdrawal of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG). He emphasized that this abolition of RDG would deprive the state of approximately Rs. 10,000 crore annually between 2026 and 2031, effectively stripping the people of their rightful dues. The Chief Minister remarked that, “Instead of targeting me, BJP leaders should approach the Prime Minister for the reinstatement of the RDG. I have appealed to them on numerous occasions to come forward together, but I know they will never do so.” He noted that while he has repeatedly appealed for a unified front on this issue, he remains skeptical of the willingness of BJP leaders to co-operate the sitting government.

Divulging details of his meeting with the former Union Finance minister and senior congress leader P. Chidambaram at New Delhi, the Chief Minister stated that he apprised him about the States viewpoint regarding the report of the 16^th Finance Commission and its likely impact on the State. He said that he also discussed about the of the dire fiscal situation inherited from the previous BJP Government, which includes a debt burden of Rs. 75,000 crore and outstanding liabilities of Rs. 10,000 crore in salary and pension arrears. He highlighted that despite these hurdles, his government’s stringent anti-corruption measures and systemic reforms have generated an additional revenue of Rs. 3,800 crore over the last three years.

Mr. Chidambaram reportedly commended these fiscal efforts and requested for further documentation to take up the matter formally. He underscored that the "RDG is a constitutional provision under Article 275(1), designed to balance state revenues and expenditures of the States while making recommendations to the Union Government Abolishing the RDG for 17 States, the interests of hilly and small States must be safeguarded.”

Despite the challenges, Sh. Sukhu said, the State has moved towards self-reliance and undertaken various economic reforms. He stated that during the tenure of the BJP government, the State received RDG amounting to Rs. 54,296 crore, whereas the present State Government has received only Rs. 17563 crore over the past three years. In addition, the previous BJP government also received Rs. 16,000 crore as GST compensation and 11431 as interim grant in 2020-21. “In five years of the BJP regime, they received nearly Rs. 70,000 crore. Had they repaid Rs. 40,000 crore of the loans, the State would not have fallen into a debt trap. Jai Ram Thakur should explain to the people of the state where the Rs. 70,000 crore was spent and who benefited from it,” he added.

Accusing the previous BJP government of misusing the RDG and encouraging wasteful expenditure, Sh. Sukhu said that the present government has curtailed unproductive spending and adopted austerity measures to enhance the State’s income. He asserted that the government would not abolish any posts but would create employment opportunities for the youth. He further said that the interests of the people of the State were paramount for the present government, adding that the present state government has appointed only half the number of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen compared to the previous BJP government, based on necessity, and that they were making significant contributions to the State’s development.

He remarked, “Despite receiving minimal grants from the Union Government, the arrears of pension for pensioners and family pensioners aged 70 years and above have been cleared. The arrears of gratuity and leave encashment arising from the revision of pension and related benefits of Class-IV employees who retired between 1st January, 2016 and 31^st December, 2021 have also been disbursed. This is clear evidence of our fiscal prudence,” remarked the Chief Minister.

Sh. Sukhu said that the State Government has curtailed the IAS, IPS and IFS cadres to strengthen the State’s economy. He stated that the number of IFS posts has been reduced from 110 to 86. The government has also pruned officer-level positions while increasing lower-level posts to ensure administrative efficiency.

He further said that the State has merged certain colleges and schools to curb expenditure. The government, he added, began taking tough decisions to strengthen the State’s economy from the very first day it assumed office. He also stated that Himachal Pradesh contributes nearly Rs. 90,000 crore as ecological value to the National economy, as highlighted in a study by the Indian Institute of Forest Management. “We have legitimate right on the resources of our State and we will fight for them,” he asserted. The Chief Minister vowed to continue fighting for the state's rightful resources through "Vyavastha Parivartan.

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CS directs for preparedness for 1^st phase of census-2027

The Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh today chaired a State-Level Training Conference organized to review the preparedness for the first phase of Census 2027, namely house listing and housing census. He emphasized that the Census was an important National responsibility and must be completed in a timely and accurate manner through coordinated efforts of all concerned departments.

The Chief Secretary directed the officers to accord top priority to census-related training, availability of human resources and technological preparedness. He stressed that these measures were essential to ensure that the census work was conducted in a fair, transparent and error-free manner.

During the conference, detailed discussions were also held on the action plan for the first phase of Census 2027 and various aspects related to its effective implementation at the grassroots level.

Secretary GAD Rajesh Sharma elaborated the roles and responsibilities of various departments and officers and underscored the need for coordinated efforts among all stakeholders for the successful implementation of census operations.

Members of the State-Level Census Coordination Committee, all Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Municipal Corporation Commissioners, officers from the Census Directorate, and other senior officers participated in the conference.