Claims, counterclaims dominate Himachal Budget debate

Launching a scathing attack on the government while initiating the debate on the Budget, Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said the Budget lacks substance and fails to address the needs of the state. Thakur said most of the schemes announced by the government over the past three years were made without adequate budgetary provisions and have failed to materialise on the ground. He further said for the first time in the state, the Budget had contracted as compared to the last year’s Budget. He further pointed out that allocations for key sectors had seen consistent cuts.

Raising concerns over fiscal management, Thakur said the capital expenditure had declined sharply over the past three years, and there was hardly any money left for development works. He added that the revenue deficit had been steadily increasing. On employment, the former Chief Minister claimed that government jobs in the state had declined significantly under the current regime.

He said during his tenure, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, government employment reached an all-time high, increasing from 1,77,338 to 1,90,137 by 2022, an addition of 12,749 jobs. In contrast, he said, the number of government employees had dropped to 1,75,579 in 2025, marking a decline of about 15,000 jobs in three years.

Thakur also countered the state government’s criticism of the Centre, noting that Central assistance continues to form a significant portion of the state’s revenue, accounting for 56 per cent, 54 per cent and 53.6 per cent over the past three years. Calling the Budget a “bundle of false promises”, Thakur alleged that it is aimed at misleading the public rather than delivering development. He further alleged regional imbalance in development, claiming that progress appears to be concentrated in Nadaun and Dehra constituencies.

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, while participating in the debate, said the figures put out by Thakur were not correct. The Chief Minister said the financial health of the state wasn’t as bad as portrayed by Thakur. “Our policies have put the state firmly on the path to become self-reliant by 2027 and the most prosperous by 2032,” he said.

Meanwhile, Bhawani Singh Pathania, the Congress MLA from Fatehpur, launched a scathing attack on the Opposition, saying that the previous BJP government got unmatched support from the Centre but didn’t use it for the benefit of the state. “The previous BJP government got Rs 47,000 crore as Revenue Deficit Grant and Rs 13,000 crore as GST compensation. No other government got such assistance from the centre. What did the BJP do with additional funds?” he asked. Pathania said the current government was facing legacy issues left behind by the BJP but it still managed to make significant improvements in critical sectors like health and education.