Jairam rejects Congress’s illusions about ‘historic changes’ in the Budget and development of Himachal

During a press conference in Shimla, former Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition Jai Ram Thakur praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, calling the Union Budget the cornerstone of a “self-reliant India.” Jai Ram Thakur said that today the country’s economic model has completely transformed, and India has moved from a “subsidy-based” economy to an era of “investment-led” growth. Comparing the budget figures for 2013-14 and the upcoming 2026-27, he explained that over the past decade, India has reached heights of development previously unimaginable. The most tangible evidence of this is the massive 516 percent increase in total capital expenditure (CAPEX); from a mere ₹1.98 lakh crore in 2013-14, it has now reached a historic high of ₹12.2 lakh crore. Citing statistics, he explained that this investment is directly strengthening defense, agriculture, education, and infrastructure. The defense budget has increased by 287 percent to ₹7.85 lakh crore, while the Agriculture Ministry’s budget has increased from ₹27,000 crore to ₹1.32 lakh crore, and the Railways’ CAPEX has risen from ₹63,000 crore to ₹2.93 lakh crore. Investment in roads and highways has increased eight-fold, and renewable energy capacity has risen from 76 GW to 254 GW. Referring to social progress, Thakur said that female labor force participation has increased from 23 to 41 percent, and the multidimensional poverty rate has declined from 55 percent to just 11 percent. Schemes like Ayushman Bharat have provided health coverage to 420 million people, while the number of AIIMS in the country has increased from 7 to 23. Regarding Himachal Pradesh, Thakur accused the Congress of spreading confusion and clarified that the central government is providing record assistance to the state for rail, road, and health. He stated that for 2026-27, a provision of ₹13,949 crore has been made in tax devolution and ₹10,243 crore in grant-in-aid, along with an interest-free loan of ₹8,309 crore. Major projects like the UDAN scheme, the Atal Tunnel, and AIIMS Bilaspur demonstrate the central government’s unwavering commitment to Himachal. He emphasized that the nearly 200 centrally funded schemes, each with 90:10 funding, are the backbone of Himachal’s development.

Failure of Sukhu government and political attack

In a press conference, former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister and Leader of the Opposition, Jai Ram Thakur, launched a scathing attack on the current Sukhu government, calling it directionless and financially unsuccessful. Thakur categorically stated that blaming the central government to hide one’s own administrative shortcomings is untenable. Rather, it is the government’s lack of knowledge and mismanagement that has brought Himachal to the brink of ruin. He held the Congress party in check by presenting comparative figures of Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), pointing out that while Himachal received a mere ₹18,091 crore in RDG during the 10-year period of Manmohan Singh’s government (2005-2015), this amount has more than quadrupled to ₹77,823 crore during the 10-year period of Narendra Modi’s government (2015-2025). Thakur sarcastically said that on one hand the Chief Minister is dreaming of Mungeri Lal’s sweet dreams by claiming to make the state self-reliant by 2027, while on the other hand he is lamenting about the RDG, which shows the contradiction between his words and actions. He alleged that the promise of giving ₹1500 to women was made on the basis of this grant, which has now turned out to be a lie. The Leader of the Opposition warned the government that the state is “crawling” without any vision, and corruption and hooliganism are rampant. He advised the Chief Minister to listen to his ministers instead of sycophantic advisors and, if he is incapable of running the government, to immediately resign in respect of the public. Thakur made it clear that all the guarantees of the Congress government are being run on the basis of central funds, and now the public is ready to burst their “pot of sins.”