New Delhi — BJP leader and Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur on Thursday rejected the Congress government’s claim that the Central Government has shortchanged Himachal Pradesh in its budget. He said such statements mislead the public and ignore hard data showing significantly larger transfers and development investments made by the Centre to the state.
Addressing media in New Delhi, Thakur said the Modi government has consistently increased the funds given to Himachal Pradesh through central taxes and grants-in-aid compared to the earlier UPA regime. He urged the state government to stop politics of accusation and work cooperatively with the Centre for the benefit of the people of Himachal Pradesh.
Thakur was joined by MPs Suresh Kashyap (Shimla), Rajiv Bhardwaj (Kangra), and Rajya Sabha members Harsh Mahajan and Sikander Kumar. Himachal MPs presented official figures highlighting the jump in financial support from the Centre during 2014-2026 compared to 2004-2014.
Quoting official data, Thakur said Himachal Pradesh’s share in central taxes during the UPA period (2004–14) was ₹12,639 crore. Under the Modi government from 2014 to 2026, this figure surged to ₹76,799 crore. Similarly, grant-in-aid from the Centre rose from ₹50,298 crore during 2004–14 to approximately ₹1.41 lakh crore between 2014 and 2024.
Himachal’s share in net central taxes has increased under the new Finance Commission formula. Thakur said the state’s share moved up from 0.830 percent under the 15th Finance Commission to 0.914 percent under the 16th Finance Commission. He noted that this structural increase disproves claims that the state’s devolution has fallen.
Data presented at the briefing showed that Himachal’s post-devolution receipts increased from around ₹11,561.66 crore in the 2025–26 Budget Estimates to an estimated ₹13,947 crore in 2026–27, an increase of over ₹2,300 crore.
Thakur said the Revenue Deficit Grant under the 15th Finance Commission was a transitional measure aimed at helping states recover from the COVID-19 impact and reach near-zero revenue deficits by 2025–26. However, the 16th Finance Commission found that many states did not strengthen revenue collection or rationalise expenditure, making continuation of such grants inadvisable.
Highlighting targeted central assistance, Thakur said Himachal Pradesh received approximately ₹8,309 crore in long-term interest-free capital loans under the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) from 2020–21 to January 2026. He also said grants to local bodies have grown significantly, with rural local bodies receiving ₹3,744 crore under the 16th Finance Commission—almost double the ₹1,673 crore received under the 15th Commission.
Thakur pointed to sector-specific increases, noting that central funds under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) jumped from ₹1,549 crore in 2004–14 to ₹6,895 crore between 2014 and 2026. He stressed that this has strengthened rural connectivity across the state.
On transport infrastructure, Thakur said the Centre has allocated ₹2,911 crore to railway projects in Himachal Pradesh for 2026–27 alone. He noted that 255 km of new rail lines are under construction under four major projects, along with completion of 24 rail overbridges and underbridges since 2014. Over 2,600 km of national highways have also been built up to June 2025 under central funding.
Appealing to the Himachal Pradesh government, Thakur said the Centre was ready to work with the state to address challenges such as high-interest loans. He cited the example of Telangana, where the state government successfully sought help from the Centre through cooperative engagement.
Thakur said the Modi government’s approach is not discriminatory and that several opposition-ruled states have also benefited from increased devolution under the 16th Finance Commission. He affirmed that the formulaic changes are fair and aimed at equitable distribution, and that claims of bias against Himachal Pradesh are unfounded.
