CM Sukhu raised key financial and development issues of Himachal Pradesh at the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.
He urged the Centre to set up a high-level committee to assess losses from the discontinuation of Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), natural disasters, GST regime impacts, and hydropower revenue issues. Sukhu said the earlier ₹25,000 crore support is inadequate and demanded it be raised to ₹50,000 crore for smooth development in the hill state.
Highlighting pending concerns, he pointed to ₹7,000 crore dues from BBMB, inadequate compensation for ecological services worth ₹90,000 crore, and delayed ₹1,500 crore disaster relief assistance. The Chief Minister stressed that Himachal, as the country’s “green state,” deserves special attention to meet the goals of Viksit Bharat.
On development indicators, he noted the state’s full literacy status in 2025 and improved education ranking from 21st in 2022 to 6th in 2026. He also highlighted a higher education enrolment rate of 43%, well above the national average.
Sukhu outlined the state’s push toward green energy, including solar, green hydrogen, and storage projects, and sought protection of state interests in the proposed Chandrabhaga–Ravi–Beas river link project.
He also pressed for better air connectivity through Gaggal airport development, stronger inter-department coordination for nutrition programmes, and AI-based governance systems. He reiterated the state’s anti-chitta campaign and sought central support for intelligence sharing and coordination.
Nurturing Creativity – Keekli Charitable Trust, Shimla
