Himachal Pradesh News
Himachal Pradesh LoP Jairam Thakur terms Union Budget proposals ‘revolutionary’ for state
Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday hailed the Union Budget proposals presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, calling them “revolutionary” and highly beneficial for Himachal Pradesh.
Former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur on Sunday hailed the Union Budget proposals presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, calling them “revolutionary” and highly beneficial for Himachal Pradesh.
Thakur said the Centre’s assurance of special financial assistance through multilateral development banks to help states deal with natural disasters would provide much-needed relief to Himachal, which frequently suffers heavy losses due to floods, landslides and cloudbursts.
“This support will help the state recover from natural calamities and will prove to be a major milestone for safer and more resilient reconstruction in the future,” he said.
Describing the announcement to develop eco-tourism and eco-trails in hill states like Himachal as a “game-changing step”, Thakur said the initiative would strengthen tourism, generate employment and create new destinations across the state.
Highlighting the broader economic outlook, he said the projected 7 per cent growth rate and record infrastructure investment of Rs 12.2 lakh crore would give fresh momentum to sectors such as IT, semiconductors and healthcare. He added that raising the tax-free income limit to Rs 12.75 lakh would provide significant relief to the middle class.
“Customs duty exemptions on cancer medicines and projects like mountain trails in Himachal reflect a vision of holistic development while preserving heritage,” he said.
Thakur further claimed the proposals would boost domestic industries, improve energy security, enhance agricultural productivity and energise the rural economy and MSME sector, creating more employment opportunities for youth.
Meanwhile, BJP state president Dr Rajeev Bindal also welcomed the Budget, terming it historic and a clear roadmap for the country’s future with a focus on investment, industry, job creation, social security and public welfare.
Bindal said Himachal would benefit substantially under its 1.217 per cent share in central taxes and is expected to receive around Rs 13,949.97 crore. “This will accelerate development works, welfare schemes, education, healthcare, rural development and infrastructure projects,” he said.
He added that special attention to hill states through environmentally sensitive, eco-friendly mountain corridors in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu & Kashmir would open new avenues for tourism, connectivity and employment.
Bindal also said the proposed Medical Tourism Hub scheme would create fresh opportunities in wellness and health tourism, while increased capital expenditure on infrastructure would benefit Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns such as Shimla, Mandi, Solan and Kangra.
