HP budget session to begin today amid revenue deficit grant row, political showdown

Shimla: The fourth budget session of the incumbent Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu govt in Himachal Pradesh will commence Monday afternoon with governor Shiv Pratap Shukla's address, followed by an obituary reference.The 11th session of the current 14th legislative assembly is expected to be politically intense. A key flashpoint will be the discontinuation of the revenue deficit grant (RDG) by the Centre, a financial support mechanism the hill state received since 1952.
The legislative assembly has received a notice seeking discussion on the stoppage of the grant and its implications for the cash-strapped state.Speaker Kuldeep Singh Pathania on Sunday said the first phase of the session would run for three days and may be extended if required, based on the volume of business. For the first time, Himachal Pradesh will adopt a phased session format similar to Parliament.The schedule for the next phase will be announced after the state govt finalises its legislative business, said the speaker, adding that Feb 17 and 18 proceedings would include question hour.Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who also holds the finance portfolio, is expected to present the 2026-27 annual budget in March. Last year, the budget was presented on March 17 during a session held from March 10 to 28.So far, 125 questions have been submitted by the MLAs, including 111 starred queries. Notices under calling attention and private member resolution rules were also received. Key issues raised by the legislators include the ‘Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samman Nidhi' scheme, govt school mergers, drug abuse among youth, law and order, infrastructure projects, tourism, horticulture, solar energy, and vacant govt posts.To ensure smooth functioning of the budget session, the speaker has convened an all-party meeting on Monday at 12:15 pm. It will be attended by the parliamentary affairs minister, the leader of the opposition, the deputy chief whip of the state govt, and the chief whip of the opposition BJP.Stormy Session On CardsThe session is likely to turn stormy as the govt continues to press for the revenue deficit grant, besides seeking pending Rs 1,500-crore disaster relief package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rs 9,042 crore under the post-disaster assessment claims.The Centre's free trade agreement with New Zealand and reduced apple import duty are also expected to spark debate.Meanwhile, the opposition BJP plans to corner the govt over alleged fiscal mismanagement, claiming that the state govt knew very well that the RDG will stop one day.The other likely issues to be raised by the opposition include unemployment, law and order concerns, unfulfilled poll promises, illegal mining, drug abuse, delays in elections for panchayati raj institutions and the urban local bodies, and the non-release of MLA development funds and discretionary grants.MSID:: 128383370 413 |