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Sukhu govt’s budget a ‘bundle of lies’: Jai Ram
Speaking to the media, the former CM said that under the Sukhu government’s announcements regarding most schemes have been made without adequate budgetary provisions
Criticising the Budget presented by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur termed it as “lackluster”.
Talking to the media persons after participating in the budget discussion, Thakur questioned, “How can Himachal become self-reliant amid budget cuts on social security pensions, education, rural development, agriculture and roads?”Terming the budget a “bundle of lies” designed to mislead the state’s people, he said that budgets of key departments have been slashed by more than half over the last two years.
Thakur stated, “I have had the privilege of witnessing the presentation of 29 budgets in this House—five of which I presented myself in my capacity as Finance Minister. However, nothing quite like what transpired this time has ever occurred during a budget session before. There is absolutely nothing of substance in this budget,” he said while terming the budget as “lackluster”.
“While the size of a budget typically grows globally every year, the Sukhu government’s current budget remains stagnant—equivalent to what it was three years ago. The budgets allocated to key sectors are facing continuous cuts,” he said.
Speaking to the media, the former CM said that under the Sukhu government’s announcements regarding most schemes have been made without adequate budgetary provisions. “Not a single scheme announced over the last three years has been fully implemented. Dozens of schemes declared in the budgets of the past three years have failed to materialise on the ground. This budget offers absolutely nothing for the state”.
Thakur further stated that employment opportunities within the state are continuously shrinking.
Jairam Thakur stated that the Sukhu government constantly criticizes the Central Government; however, over the last three years, the Centre’s share in the state’s revenue receipts has stood at 56%, 54%, and 53.6%, respectively.
Even following the discontinuation of the RDG (Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan) scheme, there has been no significant reduction in the support extended by the Centre. To help bridge the fiscal gap, the Central Government has provided additional assistance amounting to approximately ₹1,500 crore, ₹2,400 crore, and ₹3,400 crore—totaling ₹7,300 crore—over the last three years.
