“Serious Questions Over All-Party Meeting — Key Leaders of Ruling Party Missing”
“Historic Support Through Finance Commission, Tax Devolution and Central Schemes — Why Then the Crisis Narrative?”
“State Government Responsible for Financial Mismanagement — Blame Politics Cannot Hide Facts”
IBEX NEWS,Shimla
Shimla: BJP State President Dr. Rajeev Bindal, while addressing a press conference, said that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, which has been in power for nearly 40 months, is attempting to shift blame onto the Central Government and previous BJP administrations to conceal its own administrative failures, financial mismanagement, and lack of development. He stated that the real issue before the state is not a shortage of funds but the inefficient utilisation of available resources.
Referring to the recent all-party meeting, Dr. Bindal said that although it was projected as a platform for collective discussion, its seriousness was undermined by the absence of key leaders from the ruling party. The State Congress President was not present, and neither the Deputy Chief Minister nor concerned ministers were invited, raising questions about whether the meeting was intended for consensus or merely for political messaging.
Citing the official financial presentation made by the state government, he said Himachal Pradesh’s share in central taxes has increased from about 0.830% to 0.914%, which will translate into approximately ₹13,950 crore for the state in 2026 — nearly ₹2,450 crore more than the previous year. In addition, the state is set to receive about ₹4,179 crore under rural and urban development grants and approximately ₹2,682 crore under SDRF and DMF provisions. He emphasized that these figures come from the state government’s own documents.
Comparing Finance Commission allocations over the years, he noted that Himachal received:
₹161 crore during the Sixth Finance Commission (1974–79)
₹1,979 crore during the Eleventh Finance Commission (2001–05)
₹10,202 crore during the Twelfth Finance Commission
₹7,889 crore during the Thirteenth Finance Commission
Whereas under the present dispensation at the Centre:
Around ₹40,624 crore was received under the Fourteenth Finance Commission
About ₹48,000 crore under the Fifteenth Finance Commission
He said this comparison clearly shows that the state is receiving several times more financial support now than in earlier periods.
On Revenue Deficit Grants (RDG), Dr. Bindal stated that Himachal received about ₹18,091 crore between 2004–2014, whereas between 2015–2025 the amount rose to approximately ₹89,254 crore. He added that in just the last three and a half years of the current state government, nearly ₹27,000 crore has been received under various heads, yet the state continues to project a financial crisis.
He alleged that despite substantial inflows, several institutions have been shut down, payments of pensions and allowances have been delayed, and public welfare schemes have been curtailed. He further said that increased taxes on cement, diesel, stamp duty, transport fares, and electricity tariffs have directly burdened citizens.
Referring to the state’s own fiscal data, he said the report shows total revenue of around ₹42,000 crore against expenditure of about ₹48,000 crore, leaving a gap of roughly ₹6,000 crore. However, projected revenue for the coming financial year is expected to rise to nearly ₹26,600 crore, which could significantly reduce this gap. Therefore, creating an atmosphere of financial emergency is not supported by the figures, he said.
Dr. Bindal also stated that Himachal Pradesh has received nearly ₹2.12 lakh crore from the Centre through various schemes, centrally sponsored programmes, tax devolution, multilateral assistance, NABARD funding, PMGSY and other development heads. Additionally, National Highway and four-lane projects worth about ₹46,000 crore are underway, and nearly ₹6,000 crore is being spent on highway maintenance, apart from projects executed by the Border Roads Organisation.
He pointed out that the Union Government has allocated about ₹12.2 lakh crore nationally for infrastructure, which presents a major opportunity for Himachal Pradesh to attract investment in tourism, industry, roads, power, water, health, and education. Instead of political allegations, he urged the state government to focus on project execution, investment mobilisation, and administrative efficiency.
In conclusion, Dr. Bindal said the BJP has always placed Himachal’s interests above politics and will continue to raise issues of public welfare, transparency, and development while extending constructive cooperation for the state’s progress.
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