Shimla, March 11,
During the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor’s address in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Tuesday, Congress MLA Bhawani Singh Pathania lashed out at the previous BJP government, accusing it of leaving the current Congress administration with a colossal financial burden of Rs 35,000 crore. Pathania claimed that the financial mismanagement under former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur’s leadership had created unnecessary fiscal challenges for the newly elected Congress government, severely hampering its ability to implement its agenda.
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Pathania’s accusations focused on a number of financial missteps and decisions that, according to him, had left the state in a dire financial situation. One of the central points he raised was the significant reduction in the revenue deficit grant under the 15th Finance Commission. He explained that the state’s revenue deficit grant had been drastically slashed, and despite the BJP government’s awareness of this issue, it had failed to take any corrective action. As a result, the Congress government now had to bear the financial repercussions of this decision, putting a strain on its ability to fulfill its promises to the people.
Another area Pathania highlighted was the issue of GST compensation. According to him, the previous BJP government had done little to address the declining GST compensation from the center, which had fallen sharply from Rs 11,431 crore to just Rs 3,800 crore. He pointed out that this decline in central revenue had compounded the fiscal difficulties that the Congress government was now facing. He accused the BJP of neglecting to safeguard the state’s interests and not doing enough to ensure adequate compensation for Himachal Pradesh under the GST regime.
The Congress MLA also raised concerns about unpaid bills related to the 6th Pay Commission. Pathania criticized the BJP government for not clearing these outstanding payments, effectively leaving the Congress administration to pick up the financial tab. He argued that this was another example of financial mismanagement by the BJP, which had failed to take responsibility for its fiscal obligations. Pathania claimed that this financial burden was unfairly placed on the Congress government, which had inherited the liabilities left by its predecessor.
Furthermore, Pathania accused the previous government of withholding disaster relief funds following the natural disasters that ravaged Himachal Pradesh in 2023 and 2024. He pointed to the significant damage caused by the Kangra earthquake and other calamities, yet the central government, under BJP leadership, had failed to provide timely relief to the state. Pathania suggested that the BJP’s indifference to Himachal Pradesh’s post-disaster needs showed a lack of commitment to the welfare of the state’s people, further compounding the financial challenges faced by the current government.
In addition to these points, Pathania raised the issue of National Pension Scheme (NPS) funds, accusing the central government of withholding Rs 10,000 crore in NPS dues. He explained that he had worked for a company that dealt with NPS-related matters and said that these funds should have been released to support pension liabilities for state employees. Pathania emphasized that releasing these funds could have provided much-needed financial relief for employees who had opted for the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), but the BJP’s reluctance to release the funds had left the state in a precarious position.
Pathania also took the opportunity to criticize the opposition BJP members for failing to raise these crucial issues with the central government. He claimed that they were not advocating for the State’s financial interests and were instead blaming the current Congress government for issues that were a direct result of the BJP’s previous actions.
In response, former Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur defended the previous BJP government, stating that the issue of the revenue deficit grant was part of the 15th Finance Commission’s recommendations, which the Congress should have been aware of. He also argued that the Congress should focus on addressing its current fiscal challenges instead of blaming the BJP for the state’s financial difficulties.
