Jairam Thakur Criticizes Himachal Pradesh Budget, Accuses Government of Stalling Development
Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur
Shimla, March 19, 2025:
In a scathing critique following the budget discussion in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur expressed his disappointment with the state government’s performance, accusing the ruling government of failing on all fronts. Thakur, speaking informally to journalists, stated that the recent budget presented by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu was “full of disappointment,” much like the previous two budgets. He further claimed that development in the state had been stalled for over two and a half years, with promises made by the government remaining unfulfilled.
Thakur criticized the substantial cuts made to the capital expenditure in the budget, which, he argued, signaled a lack of genuine intent to boost development in the state. According to Thakur, this reduction made it clear that the state’s development initiatives would continue to stagnate, with negligible progress expected in the coming year. He pointed out that this budget marked the first time in Himachal’s history when neither the state’s budget size nor the capital expenditure had seen an increase, leading him to question how the government would address the state’s growing expectations.
The Leader of Opposition also raised concerns about the severe reductions in key sectors critical to the state’s development. For instance, Thakur highlighted a drastic 43% reduction in the budget for road, transport, tourism, and civil aviation, dropping from ₹2,700 crore to ₹1,522 crore. Additionally, the budgets for irrigation, flood control, drinking water supply, agriculture, and other essential services were slashed by one-third to half compared to previous years, a decision Thakur deemed detrimental to public welfare.
Thakur remarked, “How can we run public welfare schemes with such severe cuts in vital sectors? The reduction in funding for health, education, infrastructure, and essential services will directly impact the people of Himachal Pradesh. How can the government expect to deliver on its promises when it is continuously cutting budgets for the sectors that need the most attention?”
Further, Thakur blasted the government for failing to follow through on the announcements made in previous budgets, which he described as “false promises.” He pointed to multiple schemes that were announced in the past but never materialized, such as the Ekal Nari Awas Yojana, a scheme for providing homes to single women, and the electric scooty subsidy for students. Thakur noted that these projects remained at a standstill, with no real progress or implementation.
He also criticized the government’s continued focus on populist initiatives that failed to gain traction. “Prominent schemes like the Mukhyamantri Surakshit Bachpan Abhiyan, Horticulture Excellence Center, Skywalk Bridge in Kufri, and Himachal Pradesh Parivartan Prakoshtha have been announced repeatedly, yet none have seen the light of day,” Thakur lamented. He claimed that the Sukhu government had consistently failed to implement any of these promises, leaving them confined to budget documents and official speeches.
Thakur also expressed his frustration over the government’s lack of action regarding the state’s health system, which had been a major talking point in previous budgets. He recalled promises made about improving medical infrastructure, including the introduction of MRI machines and PET scanners in hospitals. However, Thakur pointed out that the Him Care Yojana, a healthcare initiative that had been championed by the Congress during the elections, was conspicuously absent from this year’s budget discussion.
Adding to his criticism, Thakur took aim at the government’s recent schemes launched under the names of former Prime Ministers Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi. He claimed that while the government had spent a total of ₹37 crore on these schemes, the bulk of the expenditure had been directed towards publicity rather than tangible development. “The government has spent more on advertising these schemes than on actual implementation. This highlights the government’s focus on optics rather than real solutions,” Thakur said.
In his final remarks, Thakur made it clear that he could not support the budget presented by Chief Minister Sukhu. He argued that the government’s financial strategy failed to address the needs of the state and its people, and that the continuous cycle of unfulfilled promises and funding cuts would only harm Himachal Pradesh in the long run.
As the budget debate continues in the assembly, it remains to be seen whether the state government will respond to these criticisms and take concrete steps to address the concerns raised by the opposition. For now, the growing dissatisfaction with the current administration’s approach to development seems to be a sentiment shared by many across the state.
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