Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu expressed serious concern on Friday regarding the proposed removal of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) in the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations. He criticized the BJP for leaving an all-party meeting midway, calling it highly condemnable. The BJP state President, Rajeev Bindal, emphasized that the state’s development is a collective responsibility of all political parties and stated that the BJP has always prioritized the state’s interests.
The Chief Minister highlighted that despite the Congress government being in power for almost 40 months with a full majority, it is trying to shift blame for alleged financial mismanagement to the Centre. In response to the BJP’s walkout, Sukhu accused them of lacking seriousness and attending the meeting solely for political reasons rather than safeguarding the state’s interests. He mentioned that various political parties, including the Congress, CPI(M), Aam Aadmi Party, and Bahujan Samaj Party, were willing to meet the Prime Minister to advocate for the reinstatement of the RDG.
Sukhu pointed out that the previous BJP government had received substantial grants during its tenure, whereas the current government has received significantly less RDG funds. Despite this, he assured that through careful financial management, the state is progressing towards self-reliance. The Chief Minister emphasized that the RDG is a constitutional entitlement of states under Article 275(1) to balance revenue and expenditure, a system in place since 1952. He criticized the BJP’s stance, stating that it does not align with the state’s interests and emphasized that the issue is about protecting the rights of the state’s people.
