Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday said the proposed withdrawal of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) in the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission is a matter of serious concern and could adversely impact the state's economy.
After an all-party meeting here, the Chief Minister criticised the BJP for walking out midway, terming the action highly condemnable. Presenting the party's position, BJP state President Rajeev Bindal said the state's development is a shared responsibility of all political parties and that the BJP has always worked in the state’s interest.
He said the Congress government, despite being in power for nearly 40 months with a full majority, is attempting to shift the blame for its alleged financial mismanagement onto the Centre. Responding to the BJP’s walkout, the Chief Minister said it reflected a lack of seriousness on their part and alleged that the party attended only to politicise the issue rather than safeguard the interests of the people of the state.
Referring to Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, the Chief Minister said not only the Congress but also the CPI(M), the Aam Aadmi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party had expressed willingness to meet the Prime Minister to press for the reinstatement of the RDG.
“It appeared the BJP was not willing to stand for the rights of the state and attended the meeting only under public pressure before leaving it midway,” the Chief Minister said. Sukhu said the previous BJP government had received Rs 54,000 crore as Revenue Deficit Grant and Rs 16,000 crore as Goods and Services Tax (GST) compensation during its tenure, whereas the present government has received only Rs 17,000 crore as RDG so far.
He, however, said that through due diligence and fiscal prudence, the government is steadily moving towards making the state self-reliant. The Chief Minister said the RDG is a constitutional right of the states under Article 275(1), aimed at bridging the gap between revenue and expenditure -- a mechanism that has been in place since 1952.
He said the government is well aware of how to fight for its rights, but alleged that the BJP’s stance was not in the interest of the state. “This issue is not about any particular government, but about safeguarding the rights of the people of the state,” he added.