Eye on climate change, but development is key: Sukhu

Let’s start with the most traditional question. How do you assess your two years in office, and what do you see as your biggest achievement?

The previous BJP government handed out freebies worth crores in the election year, severely damaging the economy, but our reforms and policy tweaks have brought the economy back on track.

We implemented the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which many thought was impossible. Our initiatives for farmers, orchardists, orphans, elderly citizens, women, the youth and the poor are bearing fruit, and the public is witnessing the benefits.

All this, despite a devastating natural disaster at the start of our tenure that caused damage worth over ₹12,000 crore. Shockingly, the central government provided no aid—not even what is ours by right. But we’ll keep demanding our dues.

Another question in the same vein—what were the biggest challenges during these two years?

We had enormous financial challenges, followed by natural calamities, and later political crises. The BJP made every effort to destabilise our government, but with divine blessing, we stayed afloat. There’s no threat to the government now. Minor differences have been resolved; the ones who left us were in any case of the BJP mindset. All is well with the government and the party organisation.

I am focusing entirely on governance, while the Congress state president is managing party affairs. I have the cooperation of my cabinet members, and they are all working diligently in their respective areas.

Lately, the High Court has been issuing rulings against your government...

This is judicial activism. The High Court should also focus on the law and respect boundaries; it’s not advisable to overstep remit.

Since you came to power, there have been controversies involving Adani, including disputes over cement transportation and apple prices. Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi has been vocal in opposing Adani. What is your position?

Under the previous BJP government, ₹280 crore was paid to Adani with interest, and the High Court upheld this decision. We challenged it and succeeded in reclaiming ₹280 crore for the state.

Our stance is clear: anyone operating within the boundaries of the law will be dealt with fairly; Himachal’s resources will not be plundered under our watch. We are under no pressure from Adani or any other entity.

A few months ago, there were protests over illegal mosque constructions in Himachal. What’s the current situation?

The BJP has a practised way of stoking these issues for political mileage, typically before elections. This time too, it was amplified for electoral gain. Our government handled it sensitively, and mosque committees and imams voluntarily agreed to remove illegal constructions. They did this, and the situation is now entirely peaceful.

About the Congress party’s 10 guarantees, the BJP accuses you of making hollow claims…

The BJP has no concrete issues to raise. We are systematically working on fulfilling all our guarantees, and all promises will be met in the coming years.

Experts and former officials have criticised the development model in Himachal. What steps are you taking in this regard?

We are prioritising environmentally sustainable development, keeping climate change in mind. Projects are being planned with a focus on hydro-tourism and the dairy sector. Water is one of Himachal’s most significant resources, yet past policies failed to leverage it effectively.

For instance, SJVNL (Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd) became a ₹67,000 crore company using Himachal’s water resources, whereas our state budget is just ₹58,000 crore. Clearly, policy mistakes were made. Under the new electricity policy, companies will share royalties progressively—12 per cent, 18 per cent and 30 per cent over different phases. After 40 years, projects will be transferred to the state. If companies like SJVNL don’t comply, we’ll take over their projects.

What about tourism?

Himachal sees millions of tourists annually, but infrastructure development is critical. We are working on airport expansions and building heliports.

Unfortunately, the central government recently announced funding for tourism development but excluded Himachal. We regret this bias. Regardless, we will allocate funds from our budget for tourism. Despite continuous efforts to get central approval for our projects, opposition-led states receive little support. Ideally, they should receive more assistance, but that’s not happening for us.

The unemployment rate in the state has been rising rapidly. What steps are you taking?

In the past two years, we’ve created over 31,000 government jobs—more than the BJP could in five years. We’re also working diligently to fill vacancies across departments.

You often speak of a self-reliant Himachal. What is your roadmap for achieving this?

We are working in phases to ensure Himachal becomes self-reliant by 2027 and the country’s wealthiest state by 2032. Strengthening the rural economy is a key focus. For example:

• We increased wages under MGNREGA by ₹60.

• Himachal became the first state to set a minimum support price (MSP) for milk from cows and buffaloes.

• We also introduced MSPs for maize and wheat produced through natural farming.