BJP targets Congress over admn failures, questions all-party meet intent

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh BJP president Dr Rajeev Bindal on Saturday accused the ruling Congress govt of mismanaging finances while unfairly blaming the Centre and previous BJP administrations.The BJP leader, while addressing a press conference, said despite being in power for nearly 40 months, the state govt had failed to ensure development and attempted to mask administrative shortcomings through political allegations. He questioned the seriousness of Friday's all-party meeting, noting the absence of key leaders from the ruling party, including the state Congress president and the deputy chief minister. He suggested the meeting appeared more like political messaging than a genuine effort to build consensus.
Citing official data, he highlighted that Himachal Pradesh's share in Central taxes rose to 0.914%, translating to nearly Rs 13,950 crore in 2026—about Rs 2,450 crore more than last year. Additional grants include Rs 4,179 crore for rural and urban development and Rs 2,682 crore under state disaster response fund (SDRF) and disaster mitigation fund (DMF) provisions. Comparing the finance commission allocations, he said the state had received significantly higher funds under the 14th and 15th commissions than in earlier decades. Dr Bindal added that revenue deficit grants (RDG) increased sharply after 2015, yet institutions closed, pensions were delayed, and taxes on essential services rose. With revenue at Rs 42,000 crore against Rs 48,000 crore expenditure, he argued that claims of a financial emergency were not supported by data. However, projected revenue for the coming financial year is expected to rise to nearly Rs 26,600 crore, which could significantly reduce this gap. He maintained that the Centre continued to extend substantial support and urged the state govt to focus on governance, efficiency, and development instead of blame politics.