New Delhi, Jan. 15 -- Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Tuesday raised a series of fiscal and ecological concerns before Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, seeking enhanced Central support to stabilise the State's finances and recognise the unique economic vulnerabilities of Himalayan regions.
At the meeting, the CM underscored the need for a realistic reassessment of revenue deficits faced by hill States, urging the Centre to ensure a minimum annual Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) of Rs 10,000 crore for Himachal Pradesh during the award period of the 16th Finance Commission. He said the steep reduction in RDG over recent years had significantly constrained the State's fiscal space, affecting its ability to meet essential expenditure commitments.
The CM informed the Finance Minister about the memorandum and additional memorandum submitted to the Finance Commission, emphasising that projections of State revenues and expenditure must reflect ground realities, particularly for geographically and ecologically sensitive regions.
A key proposal placed before the Centre was the creation of a dedicated "Green Fund" with an annual outlay of Rs 50,000 crore for hill states.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.