HP earns Rs 26,683 cr revenue, liquor vends auction key: CM Sukhu

HP CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the state earned Rs 26,683 crore in revenue in 2.5 years, a Rs 3,800 crore increase. He credited the new auction process for liquor vends for boosting income, a policy not followed by the previous BJP govt.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday stated that the state has earned Rs 26,683 crore in revenue over the past two and a half years from its own resources, with an increase of Rs 3,800 crore over the previous government's average revenue.

Revenue Boost from Liquor Vend Auctions

Himachal CM Sukhu highlighted the state government's decision to introduce auction-cum-tender process of liquor vends to increase the income. "The Government, after coming to power, initiated the auction-cum-tender process of liquor vends, which yielded Rs. 5,408 crore revenue as compared to Rs 1,114 crore generated during the previous government's regime. The BJP government did not auction liquor vends, and instead, it followed a policy of annually renewing licenses with a 10 per cent increase in fees," he said.

"Our Government decided to introduce an auction-cum-tender process, and the income to the State exchequer increased considerably, which was not seen during the BJP's tenure," he added.

Inherited Debt Burden

Speaking about the burden on the state by the end of the BJP's tenure, Sukhu said, "During the formation of the Congress government, the BJP had left a debt burden of over 75000 crore, besides Rs. 10000 crore as employees' liabilities. Our government is forced to repay 70 per cent of this enforced loan, i.e. Rs. 12,266 crore in interest and Rs. 8,087 crore in principal on the loan which was inherited from the previous government. Of the Rs. 29,046 crore loan taken by our government so far, only Rs. 8,693 crore remains for development projects."

Key Financial Wins and Reforms

Legal Victory Over Wildflower Hall

CM Sukhu further said that they fought a prolonged legal battle over the ownership of the Wildflower Hall property, which culminated in October 2025, when the High Court declared the state the sole owner of Mashobra Resort Ltd. (MRL). "The judgment secured a financial benefit of around Rs. 401 crore. The assets, like bank balances and shareholdings of Rs. 320 crore, were transferred to the Government. Embroiled in a legal dispute since 2002, the court's ruling provided Himachal's legitimate share to the State, which will generate an income of more than Rs. 20 crore per year," he stated.

Increased Royalty from Hydro Project

"It was due to the consistent efforts of the present government to enhance the royalty in 1000 MW Karcham-Wangtoo Hydroelectric Project from 12 to 18 per cent with the Supreme Court giving directions to JSW Energy Company to pay 18 per cent royalty to the state, which will generate Rs. 150 crore additional income per year to the state," he added.

Administrative Measures

Sukhu further stated that the Himachal government mandated all the public representatives i.e. MLAs to pay rent at normal rates in Himachal Bhawan/State Guest Houses. "The stipulated time limit for the tender process was reduced from 51 days to 30 days, where other such decisions to among the measures aimed at enhancing revenue from existing resources," he stated.

Vision for a Self-Reliant Himachal

"All these measures show the commitment of the present government to making Himachal a self-reliant state, which was never pursued before so effectively. We are moving with a vision to make fully self-reliant by 2027 and make it the most prosperous state by 2032, focusing on economic reforms, green energy and addressing the state's debt," he stated. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianet Newsable English staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)