Prepare a Separate Disaster Risk Index for Hill States: Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu Appeals to Panagariya
Meeting with the Chairperson of the 16th Finance Commission in New Delhi
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today urged the 16th Finance Commission to revamp the Disaster Risk Index (DRI) prepared by the 15th Finance Commission, emphasizing that the Himalayan region’s vulnerability to disasters and their weighted impact cannot be equated with other parts of the country.
During a meeting in New Delhi with Finance Commission Chair Dr. Arvind Panagariya, the Chief Minister discussed various financial issues concerning the state. He argued that due to the low DRI, Himachal Pradesh has not received adequate resources from the 15th Finance Commission to meet its disaster relief needs, despite facing severe and frequent natural calamities.
“Uniform metrics fail to account for disasters such as landslides, avalanches, cloudbursts, forest fires, glacial lake outburst floods, and the increasing frequency of such events that particularly affect mountainous regions,” Sukhu stated. He urged Panagariya to develop a separate DRI for hill states that takes into account region-specific indicators, allowing for distinct allocations to address their unique challenges.
The Chief Minister also requested that the declining Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) for revenue-deficit states like Himachal Pradesh be maintained at a minimum of ₹10,000 crores annually. Furthermore, he proposed the creation of a dedicated ‘Green Fund’ with an annual allocation of ₹50,000 crores to compensate hill states for the ecological services they provide to the nation in various forms. Sukhu mentioned that this matter had also been raised in a letter to the Prime Minister.
He stressed that as the Finance Commission is in the process of finalizing its report, the state’s representations should be considered sympathetically in the final recommendations to ensure the state’s financial sustainability. Sukhu assured the Commission that Himachal Pradesh would make every effort to maintain fiscal discipline and prudence.
The Chief Minister highlighted that Himachal has been grappling with natural disasters for the past three years, resulting in significant loss of life and damages exceeding ₹15,000 crores—including extensive harm to the environment and infrastructure. He also informed Panagariya that in July, the Supreme Court remarked that revenue generation should not come at the cost of environmental and ecological well-being, warning that such an approach could prove detrimental to the entire state.
Sukhu added that a detailed justification for increasing weightage in the forest and ecology parameters has already been submitted to the Commission. He further requested that snow-covered and cold desert regions above the tree line, which have symbiotic relationships with dense and moderately dense forest areas, be included in the assessment framework.
Continuing the achievement of the journey of effectiveness and credibility of more than 10 years in the career of journalism, as a woman journalist, I am Serving as the founder, promoter and editor of DiaryTimes with the trust and support of all. My credible coverage may not have given a big shape to the numbers, but my journey presents articles that make you aware of the exact and meaningful situations of Himachal’s politics, ground issues related to the public, business, tourism and the difficult geographical conditions of the state and financial awareness. DiaryTimes, full of the experience of my precise editorial expertise, is awakening the flame of credible journalism among all of you, so that the eternal flame of meaningful change can be lit in the life of the people of the state and the atrocities being committed against the people can be brought to the fore, I am motivated for that. If even a small change comes with the power of my journalism and the whole world becomes a witness to that issues, then I will consider myself fortunate.
