Himachal debt Rs 92K cr: White Paper blames BJP govt for fiscal imprudence

Pratibha Chauhan

Shimla, September 21

Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri presented the White Paper on the grim financial condition of the state in the Vidhan Sabha today amid acrimonious exchanges between the Congress and BJP members. As per the White Paper, Himachal’s financial liabilities have risen to Rs 92,774 crore and every newborn has a debt of Rs 1.02 lakh.

Dy CM: Oppn harming interests of state

• Mukesh Agnihotri accused the BJP of harming state’s interests by telling the Centre not to give funds because the government implemented the old pension scheme
• Speaker Kuldeep Pathania adjourned the House amid pandemonium at 12.40 pm
• Similar noisy scenes were witnessed when the House reassembled after lunch
• BJP MLAs trouped into the well of the House twice, accusing the government of presenting false data of the previous BJP regime

Agnihotri read the report in a charged atmosphere. He blamed the previous BJP regime for poor fiscal management and the state being ranked fifth in the country in raising loans. He said that the previous BJP government had left Rs 92,774 crore liabilities and as a result every newborn had a debt of Rs 1.02 lakh. The state had liabilities to the tune of Rs 66,000 crore in 2017 till the Congress was in power, he claimed.

He said that Himachal’s debt in 2017-18 when the BJP assumed power was Rs 47,906 crore and with an annual increase of 12 per cent (Rs 28,725 crore) it rose to Rs 76,631 crore in 2023-24. “The financial health of the state is so grim that Rs 9,048 crore (Rs 3,486 crore principal and Rs 5,562 crore interest component) will be required to repay loan in 2023-24,” he added.

Agnihotri shared the details of the White Paper amid repeated interruptions by Jai Ram Thakur and other BJP legislators.

He said, “It is after an exhaustive examination of the reports of the RBI, CAG and past budgets that we have come to the conclusion that it is because of fiscal mismanagement by the previous BJP government that the total loan liabilities of the state have touched Rs 92,774 crore.” The BJP government had left behind Rs 76,631 crore loan liabilities for 2022-23, he added.