Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu took part in the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog held in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The central theme of the meeting was ‘Inclusive Human Development for a Viksit Bharat’.
The meeting featured detailed deliberations on strategies to ensure inclusive progress across the country and to translate the vision of a developed India into concrete, tangible outcomes.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister forcefully flagged the financial challenges confronting Himachal Pradesh and urged the Prime Minister to set up a high-level committee for the state. According to him, this committee would assess the discontinuation of the revenue deficit grant, the losses caused by natural disasters, the reduced share of free power in hydroelectric projects and the revenue loss arising from the GST regime.
The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh is making an important contribution to the country's progress, yet because of the circumstances mentioned, the state is having to grapple with economic hardship. He requested that, on the basis of the high-level committee's report, the central government provide the state its rightful share.
He said that ending the revenue deficit grant has badly affected the state's economy. The Rs 25,000 crore released on the demand of the chief ministers of hill states is not sufficient to make good the losses. To keep development activities running smoothly, he urged that this amount be raised to Rs 50,000 crore.
The Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh is the country's ‘green frontier’ and that, to give real shape to the goal of a developed India, the Centre must pay attention to the state's special requirements. He said that, according to a study by the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Himachal Pradesh provides the country ecological services worth about Rs 90,000 crore every year, yet the state is receiving no adequate financial compensation in return.
He said that despite generating around 13,000 MW of power, the state is not getting its fair share of free power. In addition, dues of about Rs 7,000 crore from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) are still pending to the state. He said that, despite bearing the greatest brunt of natural disasters, the state is still awaiting the Rs 1,500 crore special assistance announced by the Centre. He further said that, owing to the present GST system, the state has had to face a revenue loss of about Rs 25,000 crore over the past eight years.
The State's Achievements on Human Development Indicators
Highlighting the state's achievements on human development parameters, the Chief Minister said that Himachal Pradesh was declared fully literate in 2025 and secured the sixth rank in the School Education Performance Grading Index in 2026. When his government took charge in 2022, the state stood at the 21st position on this index. The state's Gross Enrolment Ratio in higher education is 43 per cent, which is 28.4 per cent higher than the national average. He also mentioned the state's excellent performance in the National Family Health Survey.
Sukhu said that, through initiatives such as solar energy, green hydrogen, pump storage and battery storage, Himachal Pradesh is moving towards becoming the country's leading state in the field of green energy. He also urged that the state's interests be safeguarded during the implementation of the Chandrabhaga-Ravi-Beas Link project. Citing the ‘Mukhyamantri Apna Parivar Sukhi Parivar’ scheme, he said its aim is to identify around 1.5 lakh poor families in the state and make them self-reliant.
Raised the Issue of Expansion and Development of Gaggal Airport
Stressing the need for better air connectivity to boost tourism, the Chief Minister raised the issue of the expansion and development of Gaggal airport, so that Himachal Pradesh can be developed as ‘One State, One International Destination’. He emphasised the need for better coordination among the Health, Women and Child Development, and Education departments for the effective implementation of children's nutrition programmes. Calling data sharing between ASHA and Anganwadi workers important, he stressed the need to develop an artificial intelligence (AI)-based, information-technology-enabled and evidence-based monitoring system. The Chief Minister also gave details of the extensive campaign being run by the state government against drug abuse, and sought the Centre's cooperation to strengthen the intelligence network and improve coordination among various agencies. The meeting was also attended by chief ministers of various states, lieutenant governors, union ministers, special invitee members, the Vice Chairman, members and Chief Executive Officer of NITI Aayog, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Secretary K.K. Pant.
