Shimla, March 24
Himachal Pradesh Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Monday launched a sharp attack on the state budget for 2026–27, calling it a “bundle of lies” and alleging that it offers “nothing” for the people of the hill state.
Speaking to reporters after taking part in the budget discussion in the Assembly, the former chief minister said the budget reflected a worsening fiscal situation and accused the Congress government led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu of pushing Himachal Pradesh towards a financial crisis.
Thakur said the state could not become self-reliant while allocations for social security pensions, education, rural development, agriculture and roads were being cut.
He alleged that budgets for key departments had been reduced sharply over the past two years and claimed the overall size of the 2026–27 budget had remained stagnant, matching the level of the budget presented three years ago.
“In normal circumstances, the size of a budget increases every year. But this government’s budget has remained where it was three years ago,” he said.
The BJP leader accused the Sukhu government of making repeated announcements without backing them with adequate funds, and claimed that none of the schemes announced over the last three years had been fully implemented.
According to Thakur, allocations for major sectors fell by Rs 2,354 crore in 2025–26 compared with the previous year, a decline of 21%, while the reduction in 2026–27 stood at Rs 3,188 crore, or 41.77% compared with the current fiscal year.
He also claimed that capital expenditure had steadily declined over the last three years, falling to Rs 3,089 crore, while the revenue deficit had continued to widen across the past four budgets, averaging around Rs 10,620 crore.
Thakur said employment opportunities in the state were shrinking and alleged that job creation under the present Congress government had fallen to a 15-year low.
He also criticised the state government for repeatedly attacking the Centre, saying the Union government’s share in Himachal’s revenue receipts had remained above 50% over the past three years.
The former chief minister said the proposed allocation for the Chief Minister’s Farm Fencing Scheme was only Rs 10 crore, compared with Rs 40 crore provided during the previous BJP government.
He also objected to a cut in the Chief Minister’s Himcare Scheme budget and questioned the government’s decision to limit free electricity of up to 300 units to only one lakh BPL families instead of extending it to all eligible households.
Thakur further questioned any suggestion of a wage freeze, saying salaries can be reduced under Article 360 of the Constitution only if a financial emergency is declared.
He also noted that projected revenue from state excise duties in 2026–27 was Rs 3,174 crore, lower than the Rs 3,256 crore recorded in 2025–26.
In a political swipe, Thakur alleged that development under the current government appeared to be concentrated in Nadaun and Dehra, the Assembly constituencies linked to the chief minister and his family.
