Overview
- On October 29, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi seeking a 2% increase in Himachal Pradesh’s additional borrowing limit for the rest of FY 2025–26.
- Sitharaman assured that the plea would receive sympathetic consideration and promised extra support under Special Central Assistance with priority approvals, especially for health projects.
- Sukhu said the September GST rationalisation has eroded the state’s tax base after slabs moved from 12% and 28% to 5% and 18% and the compensation cess ended.
- He cited a steep drop in revenue deficit grants under the 15th Finance Commission from Rs 10,249 crore in 2020–21 to Rs 3,257 crore in 2025–26, alongside about Rs 18,000 crore in disaster losses and 1,321 deaths over three years.
- The chief minister also requested liberal financial assistance and detailed fiscal corrective steps, and he separately sought expanded weather radar and monitoring infrastructure from the Union science ministry.