Himachal Pradesh Assembly Passes RDG Resolution Amid BJP Protest

Amid acrimonious exchanges and sloganeering by the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday passed a resolution urging the Centre to continue the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) to the financially stressed hill state.

The House witnessed repeated disruptions as Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu accused the BJP of politicising what he termed a matter of the state’s financial survival. The ruckus escalated when BJP legislators entered the well of the House, forcing Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania to adjourn proceedings for 10 minutes.

Offer to Meet PM Together

Concluding a three-day debate under Rule 102, Sukhu said he was willing to set aside protocol and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi along with his Cabinet, under the leadership of Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, to press for continuation of RDG.

Trouble flared after Sukhu accused the previous BJP regime of taking a “U-turn” on special financial assistance. He remarked that it was surprising the BJP, which had sought liberal Central support while in power, was now opposing similar demands from the Opposition benches.

“I fail to understand why the LoP and the BJP have suddenly changed their stand on seeking special funds from the Centre after going into opposition,” Sukhu said, drawing sharp protests.

‘Rightful Entitlement’, Not Favour

The Chief Minister asserted that RDG was not a favour from the Centre but a rightful entitlement of a revenue-deficit state facing geographical and developmental constraints.

Sukhu said the people of Himachal would question BJP legislators for what he described as an “anti-Himachal stance” in not backing the demand for an annual RDG of around ₹10,000 crore.

“This is not a question of Congress or BJP. We must stand together to protect the rights of the state and its people,” he said.

Targeting Previous BJP Regime

Sukhu accused the previous BJP government of:

• Granting power subsidies to large industrial houses
• Distributing ₹5,000 crore in “freebies”
• Opening over 600 institutions ahead of the 2022 Assembly elections

He alleged these decisions strained the state’s finances.

According to Sukhu, when the BJP assumed office in 2017, the state’s debt stood at ₹48,000 crore. Despite receiving ₹54,000 crore in RDG and ₹16,000 crore in GST compensation over five years, he claimed, the BJP failed to improve fiscal health through prudent management.

In contrast, he said the present Congress government has received only ₹17,000 crore in RDG over the past three years.

Quoting Thakur’s Finance Commission Submissions

Sukhu also read excerpts from submissions made by Jai Ram Thakur before the Finance Commissions, where Himachal was described as a revenue-deficit state burdened by high developmental costs due to its difficult terrain.

He questioned why the BJP had altered its position on special assistance after moving into the Opposition.

The resolution now moves to the Centre, as Himachal steps up its political and institutional efforts to secure continuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant.

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