Governor, Centre under fire as Budget debate turns political in Himachal

Himachal Pradesh Revenue Minister Jagat Singh Negi on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on Governors and the Central Government, accusing them of undermining constitutional norms by delaying assent to Bills passed by elected state legislatures. Participating in the discussion on the 2025-26 Budget in the Vidhan Sabha, Negi said the role of Governors had increasingly become “high-handed”, alleging they were acting as agents of the Centre.

Referring to legislation concerning the grant of Nautor land to residents in tribal areas, Negi said despite repeated efforts, the Bill had not received the Governor’s assent. He pointed out that provisions exist to relax restrictions under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, for the benefit of tribal communities, but claimed these had been effectively stalled. “We approached Raj Bhawan eight times, but the Bill remains pending,” he said, calling it an injustice to the people of the state.

Negi further accused the Centre of financially constraining Himachal Pradesh, saying that constitutional provisions for supporting economically weaker states were being ignored. He alleged that even the Finance Commission had lost its autonomy and was functioning under central influence. Taking a dig at the BJP, he criticised the Opposition for not backing the state’s demand for continuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), terming their stance “anti-Himachal.”

From the Opposition benches, Bikram Singh criticised Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, claiming that the state had witnessed a contraction in budget size and cuts in salaries under his leadership. He warned that the state was heading towards a financial emergency and alleged bias in allocation of development funds, particularly against constituencies represented by opposition MLAs.

In her maiden speech, Dehra MLA Kamlesh Thakur defended the government, saying that key welfare pillars like LPG support, RDG and MNREGA were under strain at the national level. Despite fiscal challenges and heavy losses due to recent monsoon disasters, she said the Budget prioritised welfare across sections including women, farmers, youth and the unemployed.

Other legislators, including Satpal Singh Satti and Anuradha Rana, raised concerns over corruption, environmental violations and perceived discrimination in central assistance. Several members, including ministers and MLAs across constituencies, participated in the debate, reflecting sharp political divisions over governance and fiscal management in the state.