42% of revenue going into salaries & pension, 20% into debt repayment…: Himachal CM lists state’s liabilities
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Unveils new logo to mark 100 years of Jogindra Cooperative Bank in Solan
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu presided over a programme organised to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Jogindra Cooperative Bank in Solan on Tuesday evening. During the event, he unveiled the new logo of the bank and inaugurated its new building, constructed at a cost of Rs 7.50 crore.
Addressing the gathering, the Chief Minister extended congratulations to the bank’s management and staff for achieving a turnover of Rs 2,000 crore, which “highlights that employees are the backbone of any institution”. He commended the bank’s efforts in reducing its non-performing assets (NPA) from 8 per cent to 3 per cent and noted that the bank’s deposits had risen to Rs 1,400 crore.
However, he suggested that improvements were needed in the bank’s one-time settlement policy and emphasised the importance of recognising and rewarding well-performing branches.
The Chief Minister provided insights into the state’s financial management, stating that of every Rs 100 spent by the present government in this fiscal year, Rs 25 was allocated to salaries, Rs 17 to pensions, Rs 11 to interest payments, Rs 9 to debt repayment, Rs 10 to grants for autonomous institutions and the remaining Rs 28 to capital expenditures and other activities.
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He also noted a reduction in the revenue deficit grant for Himachal Pradesh, which had decreased from Rs 10,000 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 3,000 crore by 2025-26. Despite this, the government’s vision was to make the state self-reliant through systemic changes.
“I will not allow the government treasury to be misused for political gains,” asserted the Chief Minister. He emphasised that subsidies on electricity and water would be rationalised to ensure that only the needy gets desirable benefits. He highlighted the positive impact of these measures on the state’s economy, which has improved by 20 per cent in the past year, along with an increase in GST collection.
Sukhu further addressed the financial challenges inherited from the previous BJP government, including a debt of Rs 75,000 crore and outstanding liabilities of Rs 10,000 crore.
Despite these challenges, the current government has provided a 7 per cent dearness allowance (DA) to employees and plans to pay arrears to 28,000 pensioners over the age of 75 this year. He reassured that it would take about six more months to stabilise the state’s economy, after which additional arrears and dearness allowances would be disbursed.
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The Chief Minister emphasised the government’s commitment to improving public services, particularly in education and healthcare, where significant reforms were underway. He mentioned efforts to fill vacant positions in health institutions to ensure that medical staff can work in eight-hour shifts, thereby enhancing patient care. Additionally, the Casualty Department has been renamed the Department of Emergency Services to better align with the facilities provided.
He also announced the establishment of a Centre of Excellence in Kandaghat, Solan, to provide higher education for 9,000 disabled children in the state. Moreover, a state-level Adarsh De-addiction and Rehabilitation Centre would also be set up in Kotla Barog, Sirmaur district, to assist those struggling with drug addiction in rejoining mainstream society.
Earlier, Bank Chairman Mukesh Sharma welcomed the Chief Minister and provided an overview of the bank’s activities, noting that the bank, with its 33 operational branches, offers loans at low-interest rates and is focused on expanding its services.
During the event, the bank’s management presented a cheque of Rs 15 lakh to the Chief Minister for the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund and another cheque of Rs 11 lakh for Mukhyamantri Sukh Ashray Kosh.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dhani Ram Shandil, Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Sanjay Awasthi, MLAs Vinod Sultanpuri and Bawa Hardeep Singh, Baghat Bank Chairman Arun Sharma, Vice-President State Congress Rahul Thakur, General Secretaries Surender Sethi and Ramesh Thakur, Chairman APMC Roshan Thakur, President Block Congress Committee Husan Chand, President Block Congress Committee Solan Sanjeev Thakur, President Block Congress Committee Kasauli Devender Sharma, Deputy Commissioner Manmohan Sharma and SP Gaurav Singh were among those present on the occasion.
