Accusing the state government of presenting “misleading figures,” the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) staged a walkout midway through an all-party meeting convened on Friday to discuss the discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG).
The opposition termed the exercise a “political agenda” of the Congress government, while the ruling dispensation accused the BJP of abandoning the state’s interests.
The meeting, called by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, aimed to build a political consensus to pressure the Union government into restoring the RDG. The grant, a vital fiscal lifeline for the hill state, faces discontinuation following the 16th Finance Commission’s recommendations.
The BJP delegation, led by state president Rajiv Bindal, also strongly objected to the “disrespectful language” used by certain speakers against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the central government. “While political differences are natural, the dignity of institutions must be maintained. We walked out to register our protest against this vitriol,” the party leader said.
CM slams BJP’s ‘political flip-flop’
Sukhu hit back at the opposition, claiming the BJP failed to take a clear stand on the RDG.
“The BJP arrived with great fanfare but left without offering any suggestions. They are prioritising the ‘chair’ over the interests of Himachal,” Sukhu said.
He said that the state government would fight for the restoration of the grant with or without the opposition’s support. “The RDG is the right of our people. We will not allow development to suffer due to such walkouts,” he added.
CPI(M) leader Rakesh Singha echoed the need for unity, stating that it was not the time for scoring political points. He warned that losing the RDG would cripple the state’s economy and accused the Centre of discriminating against Himachal, citing the long-pending 7.1% share in BBMB projects.
LoP blames ‘financial mismanagement’
Leader of opposition Jai Ram Thakur dismissed the meeting as a move to shift blame. “The Sukhu government failed to present Himachal’s case effectively before the finance commission. Now, they want to mask their own financial mismanagement by attacking the Centre,” Thakur said.
State BJP president Bindal pointed out that the reduction of RDG was a phased process outlined by previous commissions, and the state should have prepared by strengthening revenue generation. He presented figures claiming the state received substantial central assistance—nearly ₹35,000 crore in the current cycle—across various heads. “The Congress has been in power for 40 months; they cannot keep using the Centre as a scapegoat for their failure to maintain fiscal discipline,” Bindal said.
www.hindustantimes.com
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