Himachal Pradesh News
Himachal Pradesh : BJP MLA slams Congress over ‘factless’ criticism of Union Budget
BJP state media in-charge and MLA Randhir Sharma on Tuesday criticised the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government for what he termed as “factless and misleading” remarks against the Union Budget 2026–27, accusing it of indulging in negative politics instead of constructive governance.
BJP state media in-charge and MLA Randhir Sharma on Tuesday criticised the Congress-led Himachal Pradesh government for what he termed as “factless and misleading” remarks against the Union Budget 2026–27, accusing it of indulging in negative politics instead of constructive governance.
Addressing a press conference, Sharma said the state government had spent nearly three-and-a-half years of its tenure blaming the BJP and the Union Government, rather than focusing on development and public welfare. He alleged that the Congress leadership was continuing the same pattern by opposing the Centre without presenting factual data.
Refuting Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s claim that Himachal Pradesh had received nothing from the Union Government, Sharma said official figures clearly contradicted the statement. “The state is receiving central assistance manifold times more than earlier. Unfortunately, the Congress government is deliberately ignoring these facts to mislead the people,” he said.
Sharma pointed out that Himachal Pradesh received ₹13,949 crore under tax devolution, nearly ₹2,500 crore more than the previous allocation. He added that the state’s share in central taxes had increased consistently, a reality the Congress government was choosing to hide.
Highlighting infrastructure development, Sharma said the Union Budget had allocated ₹2,911 crore for railway projects in Himachal Pradesh, which he claimed was 27 times higher than the allocation during the Congress regime. Railway projects worth ₹17,711 crore are currently under execution in the state, he added.
Under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, four railway stations are being developed at a cost of ₹46 crore. Sharma also noted that the Vande Bharat Express is operational in the state and that 100 per cent railway electrification has been achieved in Himachal Pradesh.
However, he accused the state government of non-cooperation in railway expansion, alleging that pending liabilities of nearly ₹1,900 crore payable by the state government to the Railways were yet to be cleared.
On the issue of special category status, Sharma said it was granted to Himachal Pradesh by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and later withdrawn during the UPA regime under Manmohan Singh. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi restored the 90:10 funding pattern, ensuring 90 per cent central assistance under major schemes.
Responding to Congress claims regarding the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), Sharma clarified that the RDG was a temporary, transitional arrangement, and that the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission apply uniformly across all states.
