Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh has delivered a performance-driven and achievement-oriented tenure over the past three and a half years, ensuring balanced development across all sections of society despite significant financial challenges.
He was addressing the Pradesh Congress organizational general meeting held at the HP Congress Party headquarters, Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in Shimla.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has consistently protected Himachal’s interests at every platform, which has helped improve the state’s revenue position. He urged party workers to actively take the government’s achievements and welfare schemes to every household and make effective use of social media to ensure wider outreach of public welfare programmes.
Expressing confidence in the party’s future, Sukhu said the Congress would return to power in the 2027 Assembly elections. He asked workers to strengthen the party at the grassroots level and announced that he would attend all Block Congress Committee conferences scheduled over the next six months.
He said the government has fulfilled all its guarantees and remains committed to people-centric governance. Preparations are also underway to organize state-wide rallies of senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the coming months.
Taking a swipe at the opposition, the Chief Minister said the BJP remains divided and has failed to protect Himachal’s interests, adding that its political strength would decline further in the next elections.
Highlighting key achievements, Sukhu said the government’s first Cabinet decision to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for nearly 1.36 lakh employees marked a historic step. He said the government has overcome financial stress, political challenges, and natural disasters while maintaining development momentum.
He also pointed out that discontinuation of the Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG) by the Central Government has caused Himachal an estimated annual loss of ₹8,000–10,000 crore. He compared central assistance received under the previous and present governments, stating that the current regime has received significantly lower support.
The Chief Minister said the government is strengthening the rural economy and investing around ₹3,000 crore to upgrade healthcare infrastructure to AIIMS-level standards. He highlighted the introduction of robotic surgery and operationalisation of PET scan facilities as major milestones in the health sector.
In education, he said reforms are being undertaken to ensure quality learning through rationalisation measures.
AICC in-charge for Himachal Pradesh Rajni Patil urged party workers to remain active and ensure regular organizational meetings, stressing that workers are the backbone of the Congress organization.
HPCC President Vinay Kumar highlighted the party’s organizational expansion drive and efforts to ensure that government schemes reach every household.
Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri emphasized discipline and unity within the organization and accused the Centre of financial discrimination against Himachal Pradesh, calling for collective effort to safeguard state interests.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
