The issue of financial crisis is very hot in Himachal Pradesh. The ruling Sukhu government of the state is facing financial crisis. Chief Minister Sukhu has announced to delay salary and allowances for two months along with his cabinet colleagues and chief parliamentary secretaries. To deal with the financial crisis, the state government has to take huge loans. The details of the loans taken by the government in its tenure so far have come to light. In the last 20 months, the Sukhu government has taken a loan of more than 21 thousand crores. The surprising thing is that the Sukhu government took the maximum loan in the first three and a half months after assuming power. Even in the last financial year, the pace of loans did not decrease. At the same time, the process of taking loans is continuing in the current financial year as well.
In a written reply to the question of BJP MLA from Dharamshala Sudhir Sharma, Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu informed the House on Friday that his government has taken a loan of 21366 crores from 15 December 2022 to 31 July 2024. During this period, 5864 crores have been returned as repayment of the previous loan. In this way, the state government has got a net loan of 15502 crores in about 20 months.
The Chief Minister informed that during the financial year 2022-23, from 15 December 2022 to 31 March 2023, the state government took a loan of 6897 crores. Similarly, a loan of 10521 crores was taken in the financial year 2023-24. The state government took a loan of 3948 crores during the financial year 2024-25 from 1 April 2024 to 31 July 2024. In this way, in the last about 20 months, the government took a loan of 21366 crores. The Chief Minister further said that a loan of 1097 crores was returned in the financial year 2022-23. A loan of 3481 crores was returned in the financial year 2023-24 and a loan of 1286 crores was returned in the financial year 2024-25. In this way, a loan of 5864 crores was returned during the tenure of the present government.
According to the information placed on the table of the House by the Chief Minister, a net loan of Rs 5800 crore was taken in three and a half months during the financial year 2022-23. A net loan of Rs 7040 crore in the financial year 2023-24 and Rs 2662 crore in the financial year 2024-25 went into the government account. The Chief Minister said that in the last financial year, the Finance Department has not taken back any such amount from any department, which could not be spent. Let us tell you that the debt burden on Himachal Pradesh has reached 90 thousand crores.
Report: UK Sharma
