New Delhi, June 12
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday strongly pitched for greater financial support for Himachal Pradesh during the 11th Governing Council Meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
Participating in the meeting themed “Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat”, Sukhu urged the Center to constitute a high-level committee to assess the financial losses suffered by the hill state due to the discontinuation of Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), natural disasters, reduced free power benefits from hydroelectric projects and revenue losses under the GST regime.
The Chief Minister said that despite making significant contributions to the country’s growth, Himachal Pradesh has been facing serious financial challenges. He requested that the proposed committee prepare a detailed report so that the state receives its rightful share from the Government of India.
Describing the discontinuation of RDG as a major setback to the state’s economy, Sukhu said the ₹25,000 crore assistance provided so far was inadequate and demanded that it be increased to ₹50,000 crore to ensure uninterrupted development activities.
Highlighting Himachal Pradesh’s role as the country’s “green frontier,” the Chief Minister said the state provides ecological services worth nearly ₹90,000 crore annually, citing a study by the Indian Institute of Forest Management. However, he said the state has not been adequately compensated for preserving its forests and ecology.
Sukhu also raised concerns over hydroelectric projects, stating that Himachal Pradesh was not receiving a fair share of free power from the 13,000 MW generated in the state. He further claimed that arrears of around ₹7,000 crore were still pending from the Bhakra Beas Management Board.
The Chief Minister said the state continues to bear the impact of natural disasters and is still awaiting the ₹1,500 crore special assistance announced by the Center. He also pointed out that Himachal Pradesh had suffered revenue losses of approximately ₹25,000 crore over the past eight years due to the GST regime.
On the development front, Sukhu highlighted several achievements of the state, including being declared fully literate in 2025 and improving its ranking in the Performance Grading Index for school education from 21st in 2022 to sixth in 2026. He said the state’s Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education stood at 43 percent, significantly above the national average, and that Himachal continued to perform strongly in health indicators.
The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh was moving rapidly towards becoming a green energy leader through initiatives such as solar, green hydrogen, pumped storage, and battery storage projects. He also urged the Center to safeguard the state’s interests while implementing the proposed Chandrabhaga-Ravi-Beas link project.
Sukhu also highlighted the Mukhyamantri Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar Yojana, which aims to identify and support around 1.5 lakh economically vulnerable families to help them become self-reliant.
Emphasizing the importance of tourism, he sought support for expanding Gaggal Airport and advocated for improved air connectivity to attract domestic and international visitors.
The Chief Minister also stressed the need for greater coordination among the health, education, and women and child welfare departments for the effective implementation of child nutrition programs. He advocated AI-enabled, data-driven monitoring systems and highlighted the importance of information sharing between ASHA and Anganwadi workers.
Raising the issue of drug abuse, Sukhu briefed the council about the state government’s anti-chitta campaign and sought enhanced intelligence-sharing and inter-agency cooperation to combat the menace.
Chief Secretary K.K. Pant accompanied the Chief Minister at the meeting, which was attended by chief ministers of various states, lieutenant governors, Union ministers, and senior officials of NITI Aayog.
