Shimla, March 24 Himachal Pradesh BJP chief Rajeev Bindal said on Tuesday that the budget presented by the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led government is "anti-people" as it imposes taxes on them.
Addressing a press conference here, Bindal said this is the first time in Himachal Pradesh that a government has reduced the budget to Rs 54,928.
"The state government has simply copied the schemes of the central government in its budget, which clearly reflects that the government does not seem to have any clear policy or vision of its own," he said.
"Instead of providing relief, the Congress government has imposed a tax burden on the people," the BJP leader said.
Chief Minister Sukhu presented the budget for the financial year 2026-27 in the state assembly on March 21. Sukhu, who was presenting his fourth budget, started his speech by saying that the discontinuation of the revenue deficit grant (RDG) has impacted the annual budget and accused the BJP of not supporting the state's interests.
Bindal lashed out at the government for hiking prices of various commodities.
The Congress came to power in 2022 with lofty promises and guarantees, but immediately began imposing continued financial burden on the people, he charged.
Due to the hike in the prices of diesel and petrol, transportation costs, fares of buses, taxis and trucks will also rise. Along with this, agriculture and irrigation expenses will also surge. It will also have a negative impact on the tourism industry, he added.
Bindal claimed that the Congress government has collected Rs 4,000 crore in taxes from people during its tenure so far and is now gearing up to collect another Rs 2,000 crore by hiking various taxes.
The common people are suffering due to the state government and are bearing additional financial burden as the government has hiked the rates of electricity, water, rations, stamp duty, and even cement, he said.