Himachal govt calls all-party meeting on RDG withdrawal

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh govt has called an all-party meeting on Feb 13 at the state secretariat to deliberate on the impact of the Centre's decision to discontinue revenue deficit grant (RDG), based on the recommendations of the 16th Finance Commission.The meeting was initially scheduled for Feb 8, but was postponed after the leader of the opposition, Jairam Thakur, informed chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu that he and several BJP MLAs were unable to attend due to pre-scheduled engagements. He requested the meeting be rescheduled to ensure broader participation.
The state govt has now sent formal communication to the heads of all major political parties, including the BJP, CPI(M), BSP, and AAP, inviting them to attend the meeting. The objective is to apprise them of the state's fiscal situation and stress the need for a united stand in the larger interest of the hill state. Meanwhile, a cabinet meeting scheduled for Thursday will also include discussions on tackling the ongoing financial crisis. In addition to other agenda items, the council of ministers is expected to decide on the schedule and legislative business for the 2nd phase of the upcoming budget session of the legislative assembly. The 1st phase of the budget session is set to be held from Feb 16 to 18.