Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu presented the state’s annual budget in the assembly. This budget was introduced for FY 2025-26. He said that the state government will promote religious and environmentally friendly tourism besides making less popular tourist destinations. He said that this year is full of financial challenges, because the revenue deficit has been reduced. GST compensation has been stopped. Emphasis has been laid on promoting religious tourism and making less popular tourist destinations.
Apart from this, tea gardens will be developed as environmentally friendly places. He informed that the loan liability of the state has increased to Rs 1,04,729 crore, of which the current government has taken Rs 29,046 lakh. He said that 70 percent of the loan taken in the last two years was spent on repaying the debt of the previous government and its interest.
How much MSP increased on milk?
In such a situation, only Rs 8,093 was spent on development activities. He announced to increase the minimum support price of cow’s milk by six rupees to increase it from Rs 45 to Rs 51 per liter and the minimum support price of buffalo milk from Rs 55 to Rs 61 per liter.
Sukhu said that in 2025-26, a target has been set to bring one lakh farmers under natural farming. So far, about 1.58 lakh farmers have adopted natural farming. He said that farmers who grow raw turmeric naturally will get a minimum support price of Rs 90 per kg. The state government is planning to set up a masala park in Hamirpur.
He said that the daily wages of workers engaged under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act have been increased by Rs 20 to Rs 320 per day. In Himachal Pradesh, the Chief Minister also announced the formation of a special workforce (STF) to deal with drug addiction. Under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, the daily wages of workers were increased from Rs 300 to Rs 320 per day.
