Shimla, March 21
BJP Himachal Pradesh President Dr. Rajeev Bindal strongly criticized the 2026 state budget presented by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, calling it a “back gear budget” that will push Himachal Pradesh backwards. He stated that such a budget, with a massive reduction in allocations compared to the previous year, has never been seen in the state’s history.
Dr. Bindal pointed out that a cut of around ₹4,000 crore will directly impact developmental works across sectors, leading to a slowdown in infrastructure and welfare initiatives. He alleged that the government has merely repackaged centrally sponsored schemes in sectors like fisheries, agriculture, horticulture, and animal husbandry to inflate the budget document, without introducing any substantial state-driven initiatives.
Dr. Bindal further said that for the past three years, the Congress government has been busy blaming the Narendra Modi-led central government, and even this budget begins with criticism of the Centre. “The reality is that Himachal’s development is largely driven by centrally sponsored schemes, yet the state government continues to undermine the Centre’s contribution,” he added.
Terming the Congress guarantees of 2022 as “the biggest betrayal,” Dr. Bindal said that none of the major promises have been fulfilled. He highlighted that the promise of providing one lakh government jobs in the first cabinet meeting remains unfulfilled, with not a single job delivered so far. Similarly, the assurance of ₹1,500 per month to 28 lakh women has not been implemented even after 40 months. The commitment to procure milk at ₹100 per litre has now been diluted to ₹60, which he called misleading.
Dr. Bindal also questioned the unfulfilled promise of creating five lakh jobs, stating that it exists only on paper. “This budget is a cruel joke on the youth, farmers, and women of Himachal Pradesh,” he said. He further criticized the absence of provisions to address deteriorating law and order, rising mafia activities, shortage of medicines in hospitals, and reopening of closed institutions. Instead, he alleged that the government is continuing to shut down institutions, which is a betrayal of public trust.
Concluding, he said that the budget is nothing more than a compilation of hollow figures, lacking clear direction and concrete relief measures for the people. The BJP will continue to strongly oppose this anti-people budget and raise public concerns at every platform.
