The Congress government’s attempt to hold an all-party meeting headed by Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu in Shimla on Friday to discuss the situation arising out of the withdrawal of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) by the 16th Finance Commission and the strategy ahead failed, as the largest opposition party, the BJP, walked out of the meeting midway. The BJP alleged that the government was trying to shift the burden of its own financial mismanagement on to the Centre.
State BJP President Dr Rajeev Bindal and Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur said the Congress government was just trying to create a political narrative around the RDG issue. “Nobody from the government came forward with any suggestion or strategy. The government simply blamed the Centre for the financial mess in Himachal. We are not going to tolerate this. If the government is serious, it should have done some exercise to suggest ways and means, rather than indulging in political blame game,” they said.
“The BJP is ready for every constructive discussion in the larger interest of Himachal Pradesh, but one-sided blame games, distorted presentations and politically motivated narratives cannot substitute responsible governance and financial management,” Bindal and Jai Ram said, adding that the party would continue to raise public interest issues firmly and factually.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Harshvardhan Chauhan hit back at the BJP and said it was a pre-planned move by the BJP to walk out of the meeting. He alleged that BJP leaders staged political drama and showed no seriousness in addressing the RDG issue. “They showed no concern, played politics over the issue and walked out,” he said.
The BJP delegation included State President Dr Rajeev Bindal, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, MLAs Randhir Sharma, Vinod Kumar, Balbir Verma, Trilok Jamwal and State Media Convenor Karan Nanda.
Presenting the party’s position, Bindal said Himachal Pradesh’s development was a shared responsibility of all political parties and that the BJP has always worked in the state’s interest—both in government and in opposition. Bindal clarified that the discontinuation of RDG was not a sudden decision but part of structured recommendations of previous Finance Commissions, where it was clearly indicated that such grants would be reduced in phases and eventually discontinued. He said the state government should have prepared in advance by strengthening revenue generation, controlling non-essential expenditure and improving fiscal discipline instead of creating panic now.
He placed detailed figures before the meeting, stating that Himachal Pradesh has received substantial central assistance across heads over the last three years. He noted that approximately ₹50,000 crore was received in 2022–23, about ₹43,000 crore in 2023–24, and around ₹35,000 crore in 2024–25/2025–26 under various components including tax devolution, centrally sponsored schemes, PMGSY, NABARD support, externally aided projects, and infrastructure funding.
Highlighting infrastructure growth, Bindal said that National Highway works worth roughly ₹44,000 crore were currently under execution in Himachal Pradesh, which is many times higher than comparable earlier periods. He added that railway expansion, tunnels, four-lane highways, and all-weather connectivity projects have significantly accelerated with central support. Railway project allocations have increased manifold compared to earlier years.
On industrial development, he rejected claims that central industrial packages did not benefit the state and said the major industrial push in Himachal began with the special package announced under former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. He added that new projects like the Bulk Drug Park are also central initiatives, and constant criticism of such projects harmed the state’s long-term economic prospects.
He further stated that tax devolution to the state had increased and was projected to rise further in coming years, supported by higher GST collections and central tax sharing formulas. Ignoring these facts and accusing the Centre of discrimination is misleading, he said. The meeting was also attended by congress, CPM, BSP and Aam Aadmi Party representatives.The BJP leaders strongly objected to the use of inappropriate and disrespectful language by certain speakers against the Central Government and the Prime Minister.
“The political differences are natural in a democracy, dignity of language and respect for institutions must be maintained,” the BJP leaders said.
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