Sukhu marks three years in office, cites systemic reforms; slams BJP-led Centre for indifference towards Himachal
As the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh completes three years in office, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said in an exclusive interview HinduHe argues that significant progress has been made with the idea ofvyavastha parivartan‘(systemic transformation)’ in governance since the party formed its government in 2022. Mr. Sukhu, who opposes the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accuses the Center of being indifferent towards Himachal and its people as the State, struggling with back-to-back natural disasters, is still waiting for the promised disaster relief from the Union government.
‘How would you evaluate its development’ after three years?vyavastha parivartan‘ (systemic transformation) idea was put forward by you?
‘vyavastha parivartan‘ initiative moved from concept to reality by addressing outdated rules that hindered the implementation of welfare. When severe monsoon floods hit the state in 2023, existing disaster relief arrangements proved inadequate. The standard aid of PM Awaas scheme of ₹ 1.3 lakh was insufficient for reconstruction of damaged houses. How can a person build a house with such a small amount? We have amended the relief guidelines to increase disaster housing assistance to ₹8 lakh, the highest amount in the country. This practical reform demonstrates the government’s commitment to meaningful change. Similarly, Himachal’s education ranking had also fallen to 21st position due to previous government policies. They opened schools without financial support for political interests. We have integrated more than 1,400 schools and institutions to rationalize resources and improve the quality of education. Key initiatives included providing English education from grade one and setting up smart schools with Rajiv Gandhi Day Boarding. These reforms have yielded significant results and Himachal has risen to fifth position nationally in the 2024 National Achievement Survey. At the primary level, the Gross Enrollment Rate is 100% while the dropout rate is almost zero. The state has improved its healthcare infrastructure by introducing advanced medical facilities and robotic surgery in leading medical colleges and hospitals in Shimla and Kangra. A comprehensive modernization drive is underway at all levels, from medical schools to rural primary care centres, replacing old equipment with modern technology. The change is visible.
You argued that your government has inherited a huge financial burden. What steps has your administration taken to improve the state’s fiscal health?
When we came to power, the State was struggling with extreme financial difficulties. The BJP government left the state with a debt of ₹75,000 crore and employee debt of ₹10,000 crore. This showed a complete failure of the much-lauded twin-engine government of the BJP. Also, when we fulfilled our promise and implemented the Legacy Pension Scheme for government employees, the Center imposed fiscal restrictions and thus Rs 1,600 crore due to the State was cut. The revenue gap grant has been reduced to ₹ 3,256 crore in 2025-26 compared to ₹ 10,249 crore in 2021-22. Despite this pressure, we chose responsibility instead of being a burden to the public. Various decisions were taken to manage government finances in order to maintain financial stability. Thanks to fiscal prudence and reforms, we have earned a total income of ₹ 26,683 crore in the last two and a half financial years, which is ₹ 3,800 crore higher than the average income earned during the previous BJP regime. Additionally, we have generated revenue of ₹ 5,408 crore from auctions and tenders of liquor shops in the last two years and have managed to increase the royalty fee from JSW Energy Company from 12% to 18%. The BJP ignored critical issues like the State’s 7.19% share in Chandigarh, allegations of the Bhakra Beas Board and justified hydropower royalties. We discussed these issues strongly at the center. We achieved a legal victory in the Wildflower Hall case, securing ₹401 crore to the state. We are on our way out of the debt trap.
Himachal faced devastating monsoon seasons during your tenure. How does the state deal with regular natural disasters?
Himachal faced unprecedented showers caused by climate change during the 2023-24 and 2025-26 monsoons. While the state government stood by its people, the BJP-led Center adopted an indifferent attitude. In 2023-24, we have released ₹4,500 crore from our own limited resources for the disaster-affected people. The Center sent its team for loss assessment and pegged the loss at ₹9,300 crore, but cleared only ₹2,000 crore under the Post-Disaster Needs Assessment where the Centre’s share was ₹1,500 crore and the State’s ₹500 crore, that too after two years. The state has received only ₹451 crore of this amount so far. This year, Prime Minister Modi announced ₹1,500 crore assistance during his 2025 monsoon visit to disaster-affected areas of the state. We are still waiting for the money. These delays reflect the Centre’s indifference towards Himachal and its people.
You have expressed the vision of developing Himachal as the ‘Tourism Capital of India’ and Kangra district as the hub. Are you close to achieving this goal?
Yes, I believe we are moving towards our vision of making Himachal the tourism capital of India. We have laid the foundation for tourism-oriented growth in the last three years. Projects worth ₹ 3,000 crore are ongoing and Kangra is being developed as the tourism capital of the State with airport expansion and new tourism assets. Our tourism initiative, which offers interest subsidy of 3% in urban areas, 4% in rural areas and 5% in tribal areas on accommodation scheme and offers loans up to ₹2 crore, is attracting youth and private investments. The renewed homestay policy helps rural families directly participate in the growth of tourism.
The BJP has criticized the government for failing to deliver on poll guarantees such as providing women with £1,500 a month. What will you say?
The opposition’s criticisms of our government are politically motivated. During their tenure, they opened thousands of institutions for political gains, tried to destabilize our government and never fought for the rights of Himachal Pradesh. Under the ‘Indira Gandhi Pyari Behna Sukh Samaan Nidhi’ scheme, we have provided assistance of ₹1,500 to as many as 35,687 women in a phased manner. We have also increased the social security pension to ₹1,500 for over 2.37 lakh women who were earlier receiving ₹1,000 or ₹1,150 under various schemes. Unlike the previous regime, we focus on transparent, financially supported welfare and continue to fight for the rights of the State while delivering tangible benefits.
You recently started a campaign against drugs. Is Himachal facing a serious drug problem?
No, we do not have a drug problem except some areas bordering Punjab. But we have launched an awareness campaign to protect our youth, and I am traveling across the state for this campaign. My government is committed to making Drug-Free Himachal. Massive Anti-Chitta campaigns are being launched in the state with organized efforts, planned strategies and community participation down to the panchayat level.
With two years until the next Parliamentary election, what do you aim to achieve in your remaining term?
With two years left for the next Assembly elections, our most ambitious goal is to transform Himachal Pradesh into a modern, prosperous and people-oriented State. We will continue to work to make Himachal a stronger and progressive State with better responsive governance, zero tolerance towards corruption, creation of job opportunities, growth of tourism and prosperity for every citizen. During the remainder of our term, we will focus on climate-resilient development, rebuilding roads, bridges and homes with hazard-limiting or disaster-resistant construction, slope stabilization and early warning systems.
