UNION BUDGET: Himachal pushed into financial turmoil, says Congress

The Deputy Chief Whip of the Congress party in the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, Kewal Singh Pathania, on Sunday criticised the Union Budget, terming it a “betrayal” of the people of Himachal Pradesh and alleging that it had pushed the hill state into deeper financial turmoil.

Pathania said the Budget made no mention of disaster relief funds, revenue deficit grants or any special financial package for Himachal Pradesh, despite the state having suffered massive losses due to recurrent natural disasters in recent years.

“The Centre has completely ignored the genuine financial needs of Himachal Pradesh,” he said. Pathania pointed out that the state just a solitary mention in the Budget, limited to the development of eco-sensitive trekking sites, which he described as “cosmetic and inadequate” in view of the state’s pressing fiscal challenges.

He also expressed disappointment over the absence of any proposal to increase import duty on apples. “Raising apple import duty was the need of the hour to protect domestic growers, boost local production and promote exports. The silence of the Budget on this critical issue has come as a major blow to apple farmers,” he said.

Pathania further alleged that the pharmaceutical industry, one of Himachal’s key economic pillars, had also been neglected.

“No concrete measures have been announced to strengthen or incentivise the pharma sector in the state,” he added.

Pathania also criticised the lack of allocation or roadmap for the development of rail infrastructure in Himachal Pradesh, stating that improved rail connectivity was essential for the state’s economic growth.

Calling the Budget “visionless and weak”, Pathania said the sharp fall in the share market reflected the lack of confidence in the Union Government’s economic planning. He alleged that the Budget appeared to have been drafted to benefit a select group of businessmen close to those in power.

“The only noticeable change is the reduction in penal punishment for tax defaulters from seven years to two years, which clearly indicates whom the Budget seeks to favour,” Pathania said.

He asserted that the Union Budget had failed to address the aspirations of Himachal’s residents and would further aggravate the state’s financial distress.