Shimla: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu is under fire from critics both within and outside his party who accuse his administration of “misgovernance” and failure to implement the reformist agenda promised in his Vyavastha Parivartan (systemic transformation) slogan.
These accusations highlight the delicate balancing act faced by Sukhu’s two-year-old Congress-led government, which had promised sweeping reforms in the state and a break from the legacy of former chief minister Virbhadra Singh, who dominated state politics for five decades.
The Congress swept into power in the 2022 state elections after displacing a confident Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which campaigned under the slogan “Mission Repeat”.
It rallied voters around 10 ambitious promises or guarantees, including the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), free electricity, jobs and targeted welfare programmes.
However, as Sukhu’s administration approaches its second anniversary, critics say the government has failed to deliver on these promises.
The government frequently cited financial constraints left by former BJP chief minister Jairam Thakur’s administration as a roadblock, but even Congress leaders say that blaming the previous administration’s alleged fiscal mismanagement is no longer resonating with voters.
Public anger is mounting as the growing financial strain has pushed the Himachal government to take the unprecedented step of delaying salaries and pensions.
“Initially, blaming the previous government made sense. But two years in, people are tired of hearing the same excuses,” said a Congress legislator from Kangra on condition of anonymity.
Other leaders also expressed their frustration over the government’s failure to take action on critical financial matters.
“For months now, state employees have faced concerns over delayed salaries, pensions and pending dearness allowance (DA) instalments, while the government congratulates itself on timely payments and incremental DA releases. Yet, the challenges facing the state extend far beyond employee payrolls,” said a former minister on condition of anonymity.
“Listening to the chief minister repeatedly lamenting fiscal constraints and pointing fingers at the central government for lack of cooperation is increasingly frustrating,” he added.
Policy reversals and financial constraints
At the heart of the criticism is a recent controversy surrounding a 23 October Finance Department notification, which instructed state departments to eliminate positions vacant for over two years.
The announcement prompted an immediate backlash from employee unions, youth groups and opposition leaders, who alleged that it was a covert attempt to cut job opportunities.
In response to the outcry, the administration quickly issued a second notification on the same date, clarifying that only “redundant” positions would be eliminated.
Sukhu defended the move, saying, “Those posts that are of no use now will be converted and filled up with a new nomenclature. Our government has given nearly 20,000 jobs in the last two years. But the BJP is trying to mislead the people of the state.”
The quick reversal, however, fuelled criticism from former CM Thakur, who accused Sukhu of attempting to cover up his government’s missteps.
“One notification is issued to clarify another, sowing mistrust. Accepting and rectifying an error would be straightforward, but the chief minister habitually blames others,” Thakur told reporters.
He said the incident was indicative of a government lacking transparency and control over the bureaucracy.
The government has also drawn ire for several other moves including consolidating schools to cut costs, scaling down the 125-unit free electricity scheme and reintroducing rural water billing, which the previous BJP government had abolished.
Public concern about stalled employment initiatives has also grown because of the delay in establishing the promised Karmchari Chayan Aayog after the swift dissolution of the HP Subordinate Staff Selection Board following the leak of police recruitment test question papers.
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‘Mitraan di sarkaar’ and allegations of favouritism
Within the Congress itself, scepticism over Sukhu’s leadership is growing.
Party leaders speak in hushed tones about their discontent and public displeasure but don’t raise their voices publicly because Sukhu has the high command’s backing and is expected to remain the chief minister for the rest of the term.
Public works minister Vikramaditya Singh, son of Virbhadra Singh, has promised to oppose any move to scrap government posts in the next cabinet meeting.
“Our government is committed to the welfare of all sections of society. No step has been taken to abolish posts but if there is such a notification, I will not let injustice happen, especially to the youth,” Singh said on social media.
In a subsequent press interaction, he reiterated, “Himachal’s interest is foremost.”
Questions about the stability of Sukhu’s leadership have also risen because the perception of favouritism has deepened divisions within the party.
Sukhu’s detractors dub the administration “mitraan di sarkaar” (government of friends), implying that the chief minister has favoured allies over party interests.
“The chief minister first settled all his friends as OSDs, advisors, or on other posts. Many senior party leaders were sidelined, resulting in the February 2024 crisis when the Congress government narrowly held onto power after losing a Rajya Sabha seat and with six MLAs defecting,” a senior Congress leader who did not want to be identified told ThePrint.
Congress state president Pratibha Singh—widow of six-time former chief minister Virbhadra Singh—has openly talked about coordination issues between the government and the party.
A coordination panel was set up earlier this year to iron out differences but the chief minister is yet to address Singh’s first demand, to accommodate party loyalists in the government.
Growing public discontent
Apart from opposition within the party, growing public discontent is evident, with many of the “10 guarantees” the Congress had promised being a bone of contention.
Critics say the government has rowed back on its campaign promises and point to the partial implementation of promises such as a Rs 1,500 monthly allowance for women and the rationalisation of free electricity.
Anger has grown over the government’s decision to change the eligibility conditions for the financial subsidy and exclude several categories of women from the scheme.
It has also scrapped a power subsidy scheme—providing 125 units of free electricity to all households—that it inherited from the previous BJP government. The Congress came to power promising to give 300 units of free electricity.
While the OPS has been restored, employee unions have voiced their disillusionment.
One employee leader highlighted challenges with the state’s reinstatement of the scheme, saying that issues with the central government remain unresolved.
“Several boards and corporations are yet to benefit from the scheme,” he said to ThePrint. “With the state’s finances stretched, it’s uncertain how the government will sustain pension payments in three to four years as the pension bill rises under the OPS.” Himachal’s monthly salary and pension bill exceeds Rs 2,000 crore.
Another employee union leader said, “Restoring the OPS does not cover everyone. The government recently delayed salaries and pensions, for the first time in the state’s history. Slogans of Vyavastha Parivartan can’t cover up these gaps.”
Civil servants have also warned about the precarious state of financial affairs in Himachal Pradesh.
“Only if the government secures additional funds beyond covering salaries, pensions and loan repayments can it consider capital projects,” said a senior IAS officer in the state secretariat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi leveraged the criticism during a campaign rally for the assembly elections in Haryana, warning voters, “Delhi’s royal family trapped the people of Himachal in their lies. Today, they don’t have the budget to pay salaries and DA to employees in Himachal.”
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Efforts yet to yield results
Sukhu has introduced many initiatives aimed at boosting resource mobilisation in Himachal Pradesh in a bid to address the state’s fiscal challenges and bolster its coffers.
As part of these efforts, the Himachal Pradesh government has turned to the open auctioning of liquor licenses as a revenue-generating measure.
By shifting to a competitive bidding system for liquor vends, the state earned Rs 1,815 crore in 2023-24, marking a 40 percent jump over the previous year’s Rs 1,296 crore. The government also introduced a Rs 10 cess on each bottle of liquor sold in the state.
In another move to increase revenues that partly fulfils a pre-poll promise, the Himachal Pradesh government raised milk prices from Rs 38 to Rs 45 and that of buffalo milk from ₹38 to ₹55 per litre this April.
The government also sought to generate approximately Rs 2,000 crore annually through the Water Cess Act, which levied a cess on water usage by power generation companies.
However, the state’s high court struck down the act following the central government’s declaration that it was illegal.
Now, the administration is exploring a comprehensive “umbrella act” to streamline and govern water-related revenue sources.
Additionally, Sukhu announced that rescheduling salary disbursement to the fifth day of each month and pension payments to the ninth could yield savings of Rs 36 crore annually.
Despite these steps, opposition leaders and critics have labelled the government’s spending priorities “inefficient”. They point to the appointment of seven chief parliamentary secretaries and a considerable number of OSDs and advisors, some of whom hold cabinet-level ranks.
Critics have also slammed the government’s move to close or merge hundreds of institutions, including over 900 schools, as a cost-saving measure. The move was a departure from previous Congress commitments to expand public infrastructure.
Thakur criticised the closures as “regressive and detrimental”, accusing Sukhu of reneging on promises to improve access to education and social services.
“Shutting down institutions disrupts communities and impacts essential services for vulnerable groups,” he said.
The government is also under fire for its failure to create jobs.
It launched the Rs 680-crore Rajiv Gandhi Self-Employment Start-up Scheme, one of its cornerstone promises, last November to create job opportunities and foster self-employment.
Under its first phase, the government introduced an e-taxi scheme to support unemployed youths with collateral-free loans, aligning with the broader commitment to creating two lakh jobs.
However, reports suggest that banks are now hesitant to provide these collateral-free loans, casting doubt on the scheme’s effectiveness and raising concerns about its viability.
Sukhu is also facing intense criticism over his appointment of retired civil servant Ram Subhag Singh as principal adviser and giving him significant control over the state’s power sector.
The controversy escalated when Singh, who previously held the role of chief secretary under the BJP-led administration, was granted a two-year extension in his advisory position.
This decision has drawn widespread backlash, particularly as Sukhu had, in 2022, openly accused Singh of corruption on the floor of the legislative assembly.
“Sukhu should have explained appointing Ram Subhag Singh as his advisor. Either he should justify this change of heart, or issue an apology for his prior allegations in the assembly. As of now, he has done neither,” BJP state general secretary Trilok Kapur told The Print.
Countering the Opposition
Shimla-based political analyst M.P.S. Rana said the chief minister faces significant pressure and the onus was on him to counter the Opposition.
“Over the past two years, he has navigated political turmoil and a destructive monsoon season. Beyond this, the Opposition has adeptly applied pressure on various issues. It’s their role, after all,” Rana told The Print.
“It falls on Sukhu and his team to find effective strategies to counter the Opposition’s attacks. The responsibility to manage this rests with his team.”
Despite the criticism, Sukhu has said that Himachal Pradesh was moving decisively towards financial stability and hinted at an orchestrated attempt to undermine his administration.
He said that while progress has been made, several departments still needed streamlining to enhance efficiency.
“We are here not for the trappings of power but to serve all sections of society,” Sukhu said at a media interaction in Shimla. “The blackmailers will not have the last laugh,” he added.
Himachal Pradesh’s town planning minister, Rajesh Dharmani, urged a broader view of the state’s financial strategy. He highlighted the need for reforms across departments, boards and corporations, noting the untapped potential within the state electricity board.
He emphasised that addressing employee benefits alone was insufficient to meet the needs of all citizens.
“We are not anti-employee, but the state must also consider other sections of society,” Dharmani told ThePrint.
(Edited by Sugita Katyal)