Shimla, March 21 Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presented a budget of ₹54,928 crore for the financial year 2026-27 in the state assembly on Saturday.
Sukhu, who was presenting his fourth budget, began his speech by stating 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.
"The opposition BJP has not stood by the state in these difficult times, and history will never forget them," Sukhu said, eliciting immediate reaction from the BJP members.
The BJP objected to the language and raised slogans after moving to the well of the House.
As the slogans continued, the speaker adjourned the House until 11:30 am, after which the BJP members left the House, although the Congress MLAs remained seated.
Shortly after, the BJP members returned and continued to raise slogans while the chief minister continued his budget speech.
He stated that conflicts around the world are now also impacting the state, and that LPG prices are increasing due to the ongoing war between the US, Israel, and Iran.
He further said that comparing Himachal Pradesh with Uttarakhand and Assam is incorrect, as Himachal is a hill state with limited resources like water and forests. "Himachal is the lung of North India and should receive a green bonus, but instead, the Revenue Deficit Grant to the state has been discontinued," he said.
The discontinuation of the RDG would result in a loss of ₹8,105 crore annually, he stated.
The chief minister, who holds the finance portfolio, announced a provision of ₹500 crore to complete pending works, adding that a list of 300 incomplete works has been prepared.
The size of the state budget for the upcoming financial year is approximately ₹4,000 crore less than last year's ₹58,514 crore.