Mixed reactions in Himachal over budget: Govt employees welcome tax relief, state government, apple growers express discontent

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], February 1 (ANI): The Union Budget for the financial year 2025-26, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, has sparked mixed reactions across Himachal Pradesh. While government employees are pleased with the tax relief provisions, apple growers and the state government have expressed deep dissatisfaction, labelling it as an election-oriented budget.
The Himachal Government has criticised the Budget as "Election-Oriented". The Himachal Pradesh government has also strongly criticised the budget, calling it an election gimmick.
Jagat Singh Negi, Himachal Pradesh's Minister for Revenue, Horticulture, and Tribal Development, said the budget has failed to meet expectations.
"The central government's budget has dashed everyone's hopes. A budget should focus on solving problems like poverty, unemployment, and inflation, but this budget addresses none of these crucial issues," said Negi.
He accused the Modi government of timing the budget for electoral gains, particularly in Delhi. "This budget was deliberately presented before the Delhi elections, showing clear coordination between the Election Commission and the Modi government. The Election Commission should have postponed the budget announcement until after February 5 to prevent its influence on the elections." Negi said.
Negi pointed out that Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand, which are major apple-producing states, received no special provisions in the budget.
"Earlier, the government had promised to increase import duties on apples to 100 per cent, but there is no mention of this in the budget. The entire apple economy of Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Uttarakhand have been ignored," said Jagat Singh Negi.
He also criticised the lack of funding for border and tribal areas, comparing the Vibrant Villages Scheme with the previous Border Area Development Programme (BADP).
"During the Congress government, the Border Area Development Programme had a multi-crore budget for border villages along China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. But in the last four years, the BJP government discontinued the BADP and introduced the Vibrant Villages Scheme, reducing the number of supported villages to just 4,000. Till now, not a single village in Himachal Pradesh's border area has received any funds under this scheme." Negi added.
The apple growers are disappointed with the Union Budget. In contrast, apple growers in Himachal Pradesh have expressed deep disappointment with the budget, as they were expecting substantial relief measures, particularly in import duties on apples.
Hari Singh Pachanaik, an apple grower from Shimla district, voiced his frustration.
"We had high hopes that the Union Budget would provide some relief to farmers and horticulturists, but there is nothing for us. The tax relief benefits only the salaried class, while common people and farmers have been ignored," said Hari Singh.
He emphasised the need for higher import duties on apples to protect Himachal Pradesh's apple economy.
"If the government had increased import duties on foreign apples, it would have benefited thousands of apple growers in Himachal Pradesh. The state's apple economy is worth thousands of crores, but this budget provides no relief in terms of subsidies on fertilizers, equipment, or financial aid for farmers," Pachanaik added.
On the other hand, government employees in Himachal Pradesh are particularly pleased with the tax relief measures announced in the budget. The tax exemption limit has been raised to Rs 12 lakh, exceeding their expectations.
Sanjeev Sharma, President of the Himachal Pradesh Secretariat Employees' Union, expressed satisfaction with the tax relief.
"We had demanded a tax exemption up to Rs 10 lakh, but the budget increased it to Rs 12,75,000, making it tax-free. This is a great relief for all employees and officers, and we are genuinely happy with this announcement," said Sanjeev.
However, he also highlighted the pending arrears issue. "We still have 42 months of pending arrears from the 2016 pay scale revision, amounting to Rs9,200 crore, which is due from the central government. We requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to release these funds to clear our arrears," Sanjeev added.
The Union Budget 2025-26 has drawn mixed reactions in Himachal Pradesh. While government employees are happy about tax relief, apple growers and the state government feel ignored and see it as an election-driven budget. The debate over import duties, farmers' relief, and financial allocations for border areas continues, leaving many sections of society dissatisfied. (ANI)