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As Himachal Pradesh prepares for the Rajya Sabha election on March 16 to fill the seat vacated by BJP MP Indu Goswami at the end of her tenure, Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri on Wednesday stated that the BJP would not be able to repeat its previous strategy, as the Congress is fully alert this time.
Speaking to ANI after a press conference in Shimla, Agnihotri said the Congress high command would soon finalise its candidate. "In the coming days, the Rajya Sabha election scheduled for March 16 will take place, and the party high command will soon decide the candidate. I don't think the BJP will be able to make any attempt this time. Earlier, they managed to win the seat despite our efforts to defeat 'Operation Lotus', but this time the Congress is fully alert," he said. Referring to the previous poll, Agnihotri said, "What happened last time has happened. The BJP may have won the Rajya Sabha seat once, but it cannot happen repeatedly. The Congress high command will decide the candidate, and we will ensure that he or she reaches the Rajya Sabha. We are not concerned about what the BJP does, but I don't think it will be able to make any attempt this time." On the issue of Revenue Deficit Grant (RDG), the Deputy CM said the Himachal Congress leadership had recently met the party high command and raised concerns over the Centre discontinuing the grant. He said the matter was discussed with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and senior leader Rahul Gandhi. "The Centre has suddenly stopped the Revenue Deficit Grant, which amounted to around Rs 50,000 crore over the past five years. This will cause a loss of about Rs 10,000 crore annually to Himachal Pradesh. There was no warning or communication before this decision, and the Finance Commission's recommendation lacked logic," he said. Agnihotri added that the state was already facing fiscal pressures due to the end of GST compensation, deductions linked to the Old Pension Scheme and pending disaster relief funds. "Even the Rs 1,500 crore disaster assistance announced by the Prime Minister has not been received yet, and borrowing limits have also been fixed, creating financial constraints for the state," he said. Targeting Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur, Agnihotri alleged that he did not support the state's stand on RDG. "The Himachal Assembly passed a resolution seeking continuation of the RDG, but Jai Ram Thakur neither participated nor allowed his party to support it. This is not a political issue but a matter concerning the state's financial stability," he said, adding that all parties should unite on the issue. Highlighting transport sector reforms, Agnihotri said the state government had moved services to a digital and automated mode. "We decided to take the Transport Department to auto mode and have made significant progress. People no longer need to visit RTO, SDM or Motor Vehicle Inspector offices repeatedly. Services such as driving licence authentication, vehicle fitness and permits are now digital," he said. He said Automatic Testing Stations (ATS), driving testing centres and scrappage facilities were being developed across the state. "National permits, goods permits and other transporter services have entered the digital domain, and Himachal has become a pioneer state in adopting these reforms," he said. On revenue generation, Agnihotri said the Transport Department had achieved Rs 1,000 crore revenue with an annual growth rate of 8 per cent. "During the BJP tenure, revenue ranged between Rs 500-600 crore. Through reforms such as the auction of fancy and single-digit numbers, we have generated around Rs 88 crore. We expect revenue to reach about Rs 1,250 crore next year," he added. The Deputy CM also announced policy steps for taxi operators. "We have taken up the issue with Union Minister Nitin Gadkari to align taxi permit validity with a 15-year vehicle life. With around 35,000 taxis in the state, this will benefit operators across the country once notified," he said. He further said the government had introduced a vintage vehicle policy. "Vehicles over 50 years old kept at home can now be registered under the vintage category with a special series. Owners can preserve them, display them and use them occasionally," he said. Agnihotri added that the Centre had provided incentives nearing Rs 100 crore for reforms, including Rs 35 crore for road safety and Rs 59 crore for meeting prescribed standards. "Our revenue is growing steadily and we are making every effort to plug gaps and explore new sources of income for the state," he said. (ANI)
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