Sukhu Says He Is Ready to Join BJP Leaders in Seeking Financial Aid from PM and Finance Minister

Will also discuss lifting the ₹1,600 crore borrowing cap

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said on Tuesday that he is willing to meet the Prime Minister and Union Finance Minister, along with Himachal Pradesh BJP leaders, to seek much-needed financial assistance for the state, which has suffered extensive damage from this year’s monsoon.

Speaking to reporters here, Sukhu said he is prepared to join a delegation of Himachal BJP leaders — including MPs and MLAs — to press for the prompt release of the ₹1,500 crore in aid announced earlier. “I have no ego,” he said. “I will be part of any BJP-led delegation that goes to seek help for providing relief to families affected by the disaster.”

The Chief Minister said the state is still awaiting the release of the ₹1,500 crore financial package announced by the Prime Minister during his visit to Himachal. “I will be meeting Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Delhi tomorrow,” he added. “I might be the only Chief Minister to have met the Finance Commission chairperson five times to request special allocations for the state.”

Sukhu said he would also raise the issue of lifting the ₹1,600 crore cap on additional borrowing — a restriction imposed by the Centre during the previous BJP government’s tenure, after the Congress administration restored the Old Pension Scheme in the state. “I will urge the Centre to allow an additional two percent borrowing limit for the next two to four months, which will be financially very difficult for us,” he said.

He explained that much of the state’s borrowing was undertaken to repay loans taken by the previous BJP government. “We will continue to fight to protect the state’s interests — and we have already achieved some success in this regard. It is the BJP that has failed to safeguard Himachal’s interests,” he said.

Sukhu further pointed out that while the Centre provides compensation, Himachal — with a population of just 7.5 million — is not a large consumer state and therefore faces significant revenue losses. “Himachal is a producer state,” he noted. “Despite having a major pharmaceutical hub in Baddi, our revenue has fallen from ₹3,500–4,000 crore to barely ₹150 crore.”