Shimla: Himachal Pradesh education minister Rohit Thakur and technical education minister Rajesh Dharmani on Saturday rebutted remarks made by Union health minister J P Nadda, asserting that the people of the state need tangible support and results rather than political claims.
Addressing mediapersons, the ministers said that as one of Himachal Pradesh's most senior leaders in the Union government, Nadda was expected to strongly represent the state's financial and developmental interests. They stressed that the state was currently facing financial pressures, reconstruction challenges and growing development needs, requiring greater cooperation from the Centre.
The duo also highlighted the discontinuation of the revenue deficit grant (RDG), which they said could result in an annual loss of over Rs 8,100 crore for the state. They further pointed out that Himachal was still awaiting the release of Rs 1,500 crore announced by the Prime Minister for disaster rehabilitation after the devastating 2023 natural calamities.
Referring to healthcare, the minister claimed central assistance under Ayushman Bharat had been lower than expected. Despite fiscal constraints, they said, the state was investing nearly Rs 3,000 crore in healthcare modernisation and continued to perform strongly in education, securing high national rankings in the latest Performance Grading Index.
