Himachal Pradesh News
Jai Ram Thakur Blames Himachal Pradesh Govt for Fiscal Crisis Amid RDG Dispute
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Monday accused the state government of shifting responsibility to the Centre for its own fiscal mismanagement following the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendation to discontinue the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) to Himachal Pradesh.
Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Monday accused the state government of shifting responsibility to the Centre for its own fiscal mismanagement following the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendation to discontinue the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) to Himachal Pradesh.
Participating in a debate on a resolution moved under Rule 102 in the Himachal Pradesh Legislative Assembly, Thakur said the government was indulging in “political gimmickry” rather than engaging in constructive discussions to address the emerging economic crisis.
“There is a need to take bold and harsh decisions rather than seek political mileage. We want the state to come out of this crisis, but we cannot be compelled to function according to the government’s whims,” he said.
Debt Trajectory in Focus
Thakur traced the state’s rising debt, claiming Himachal was virtually debt-free until 1993. By 2012–13, he said, the loan burden stood at ₹14,000 crore. During the Congress regime from 2013 to 2017, the debt rose to ₹47,900 crore — an increase of 67 per cent.
In comparison, he claimed that during the BJP’s tenure, debt increased by ₹69,600 crore at a rate of 44 per cent.
While acknowledging the severity of the current fiscal situation, Thakur criticised what he termed “extravagant spending” over the past three years.
RDG Discontinuation Not Limited to Himachal
The Leader of Opposition pointed out that RDG had been discontinued for 17 states, not just Himachal Pradesh. Referring to Karnataka, he said the Congress government there had earlier opposed RDG, questioning why the Centre was now being singled out.
He also accused the Congress government of burdening the state exchequer with its pre-election “10 guarantees”.
Call Against Politicisation
Theog MLA Kuldeep Singh Rathore urged that the RDG issue should not be politicised. He highlighted the financial strain caused by the 2023 and 2025 monsoon disasters and argued that Himachal’s limited revenue base made comparisons with larger states like Karnataka inappropriate.
Naina Devi MLA Randhir Sharma also participated in the discussion.
The debate reflects deep political divisions over how to address Himachal Pradesh’s fiscal challenges amid the proposed discontinuation of central revenue support.
