Himachal Pradesh News
Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu demands separate Green Fund for hill states
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday called for the creation of a separate Green Fund for hill states, proposing an earmarked annual allocation of Rs 50,000 crore, and described Himalayan states as the green frontiers and lungs of North India.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday called for the creation of a separate Green Fund for hill states, proposing an earmarked annual allocation of Rs 50,000 crore, and described Himalayan states as the green frontiers and lungs of North India.
During a meeting with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi, Sukhu highlighted the unique ecological, developmental and fiscal challenges faced by Himalayan states. He said these states bear a disproportionate burden of conserving forests and fragile ecosystems while facing limited revenue-generation capacity.
The Chief Minister informed the Union Minister about Himachal Pradesh’s revised proposal on horizontal devolution, seeking higher weightage for forest and ecology-related parameters. He stressed that snow-bound and cold desert areas above the tree line should also be factored in, along with very dense and moderately dense forests, given their close ecological interdependence.
Sukhu also apprised Sitharaman about the memorandum and additional memorandum submitted to the 16th Finance Commission, urging that the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) be fixed at a minimum of Rs 10,000 crore annually. He emphasised the need for a realistic assessment of state revenues and expenditure commitments during the award period.
Flagging disaster vulnerability, the Chief Minister sought a reframing of the Disaster Risk Index (DRI) formulated by the 15th Finance Commission. He argued that Himalayan states cannot be assessed on the same scale as plains states due to their higher exposure to landslides, floods, cloudbursts and earthquakes, and demanded a separate DRI with exclusive disaster funding for hill states.
Sukhu also requested permission for additional borrowing of 2 per cent of GSDP, stating that a steep reduction in RDG in recent years has severely constrained Himachal Pradesh’s fiscal space.
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