"Meet PM Modi over revenue deficit issue, instead of targeting me": CM Sukhu tells Himachal BJP leaders

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], February 11 (ANI): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that BJP leaders here should champion the interests of the people of the state on the issue of the withdrawal of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG).
"Instead of targeting me, BJP leaders should approach the Prime Minister for the reinstatement of the RDG. I have appealed to them on numerous occasions to come forward together, but I know they will never do so."
Sukhu noted that while he has repeatedly appealed for a unified front on this issue, he remains sceptical about BJP leaders' willingness to cooperate with the sitting government.
Speaking about his meeting with former Union Finance Minister and senior Congress leader P. Chidambaram in New Delhi, the Chief Minister stated that he apprised him of the State's viewpoint on the 16th Finance Commission report and its likely impact on the State.
He said that he also discussed the dire fiscal situation inherited from the previous BJP Government, which includes a debt burden of Rs 75,000 crore and outstanding liabilities of Rs 10,000 crore in salary and pension arrears.
Despite the challenges, Sukhu said, the State has moved towards self-reliance and undertaken various economic reforms. He stated that during the tenure of the BJP government, the State received RDG amounting to Rs 54,296 crore, whereas the present State Government has received only Rs 17563 crore over the past three years. In addition, the previous BJP government also received Rs 16,000 crore as GST compensation and 11431 as an interim grant in 2020-21. "In five years of the BJP regime, they received nearly Rs 70,000 crore. Had they repaid Rs 40,000 crore of the loans, the State would not have fallen into a debt trap. Jai Ram Thakur should explain to the people of the state where the Rs 70,000 crore was spent and who benefited from it," he added.
Accusing the previous BJP government of misusing the RDG and encouraging wasteful expenditure, Sukhu said that the present government has curtailed unproductive spending and adopted austerity measures to enhance the State's income. He asserted that the government would not abolish any posts but would create employment opportunities for the youth.
He further said that the interests of the people of the State were paramount for the present government, adding that the present state government has appointed only half the number of Chairmen and Vice-Chairmen compared to the previous BJP government, based on necessity, and that they were making significant contributions to the State's development.
He remarked, "Despite receiving minimal grants from the Union Government, the arrears of pension for pensioners and family pensioners aged 70 years and above have been cleared. The arrears of gratuity and leave encashment arising from the revision of pension and related benefits of Class-IV employees who retired between 1st January, 2016 and 31st December, 2021, have also been disbursed. This is clear evidence of our fiscal prudence."
Sukhu said that the State Government has curtailed the IAS, IPS and IFS cadres to strengthen the State's economy. He stated that the number of IFS posts has been reduced from 110 to 86. The government has also pruned officer-level positions while increasing lower-level posts to ensure administrative efficiency.
He further said that the State has merged certain colleges and schools to curb expenditure. The government, he added, began taking tough decisions to strengthen the State's economy from the very first day it assumed office. He also stated that Himachal Pradesh contributes nearly Rs 90,000 crore as ecological value to the National economy, as highlighted in a study by the Indian Institute of Forest Management.
"We have legitimate right on the resources of our State and we will fight for them," he asserted.
The Chief Minister vowed to continue fighting for the state's rightful resources through "Vyavastha Parivartan." (ANI)