"Back gear budget...: Himachal BJP chief slams Congress government

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], March 21 (ANI): BJP state president Rajiv Bindal has termed the Himachal Pradesh Budget 2026 presented by Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, a "back gear budget" that would push the state backwards.
In a statement, Bindal alleged that the budget reflects a significant reduction of nearly Rs. 4,000 crore compared to the previous year, which, he claimed, would directly impact developmental works across sectors.

"This is a 'back gear budget' that will take Himachal Pradesh backwards. Never before in the state's history has such a budget been presented with cuts running into thousands of crores," Bindal said.
He further alleged the government has inflated the size of the budget by largely incorporating centrally sponsored schemes in sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, horticulture and animal husbandry, while failing to introduce substantial state-level initiatives.
Bindal also accused the ruling Congress government of continuing what he described as a pattern of blaming the Centre. He said that most of the ongoing development schemes in the state are supported by the Central government led by Narendra Modi.
Targeting the Congress party's 2022 election guarantees, Bindal termed them "the biggest deception," alleging that the government has failed to fulfil its promises.
"The promise of providing one lakh government jobs in the first Cabinet has not been fulfilled. The guarantee of Rs. 1,500 per month to 28 lakh women remains unimplemented even after 40 months. The milk procurement promise has also been diluted," he said.
He added that the promise of generating five lakh employment opportunities exists only on paper and accused the government of betraying youth, farmers and women.
Bindal also criticised the budget "for lacking concrete provisions to improve law and order, curb alleged mafia activities, ensure the availability of medicines in hospitals, and reopen closed institutions".
"This budget is merely a bundle of hollow figures with no clear direction for development or relief for the people," he said, adding that the BJP would continue to oppose what he described as an anti-people budget and raise public concerns strongly.(ANI)