Himachal Pradesh CM Seeks Increased Financial Support and Ecological Funding from Centre

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to seek enhanced financial support for the state. He requested an annual Revenue Deficit Grant of at least Rs 10,000 crore, additional borrowing of 2% of the state's GSDP, and the creation of a Rs 50,000 crore 'Green Fund' for hill states. Sukhu also proposed revising fiscal formulas to better account for forest and ecological factors, called for a separate disaster risk index for Himalayan regions, and urged protection measures for apple growers through import restrictions and special category status.