Yog Raj Sharma
The North News
Shimla, February 11
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Wednesday criticised the opposition BJP over the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) issue, accusing former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur of shifting blame instead of pressing the central government to restore the grant.
Speaking in Shimla after returning from a visit to Delhi, Sukhu said the BJP government led by Thakur had received around ₹54,000 crore in RDG and ₹16,000 crore as GST compensation during its tenure. He alleged that despite receiving what he described as substantial financial support, the previous administration failed to reduce debt or clear employee liabilities.
The BJP has previously denied allegations of financial mismanagement and has blamed the current Congress government for the state’s fiscal strain. Sukhu said that during the Congress government’s tenure, the state received significantly less RDG but had nonetheless managed to increase revenue collections. He accused the previous administration of spending heavily on infrastructure projects in locations that, according to him, are now underutilised.
Despite financial pressures, the chief minister said his government would not abolish jobs or roll back the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), a key political commitment.
He also announced that an all-party meeting has been convened to discuss the implications of the RDG discontinuation and the state’s financial position.
During his Delhi visit, Sukhu met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, and former finance minister P Chidambaram. According to the chief minister, discussions focused on the RDG issue, the state’s economic reforms and organisational matters.
Sukhu had also sought time to meet Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, but the meeting did not take place due to the ongoing parliamentary session.
