Wrong State Policies Pushed Himachal into Financial Crisis: BJP MLA Prem Prakash Rana. 

Shimla:

BJP MLA from Jogindernagar assembly constituency in Mandi district, Prem Prakash Rana, today said that Himachal Pradesh has slipped into severe financial distress due to the wrong policies of the present state government. He claimed that the financial crisis is a result of poor planning and mismanagement by the Congress-led government.

Reacting to the controversy over the Centre withholding the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) to Himachal Pradesh, Rana said that instead of blaming the Central government, the state government should introspect and take responsibility for its failures. The state government, led by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, has been criticising the Centre for stopping the grant, which has further strained the state’s finances.

Rana recalled that during the previous budget session of the Himachal Pradesh Vidhan Sabha, he had raised concerns about the deteriorating financial condition of the state and suggested immediate corrective measures. He said he had urged the government to adopt strict financial discipline to stabilise the economy.

The BJP MLA stated that he had proposed a 25 per cent reduction in the salaries of elected representatives as well as government employees as a symbolic and practical step to reduce the financial burden on the exchequer. He also suggested that the government should focus on strengthening the state’s revenue by exploring new income sources and improving tax collection mechanisms.

Rana alleged that the state government ignored these suggestions and continued with policies that weakened the financial structure of Himachal Pradesh. He asserted that political blame games would not help the state and stressed the need for serious reforms and responsible governance to bring the state out of the financial crisis.