Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Saturday presented Rs 54,928-crore budget for 2026-27 in the state Assembly.Sukhu today said this was the first time since 1952 that the Budget was being presented in the absence of Revenue Deficit Grant by the Centre.Sukhu, who holds the Finance portfolio started his speech while presenting his fourth budget for the year 2026-27. “It is unfair and injustice with the people of Himachal to stop the grant of RDG to the state,” he said.CM Sukhu announces up to 50 pc temporary salary cutsMarch 21, 2026 4:23 pmConsidering the grim fiscal health of the state, CM Sukhu announces temporary salary deferment: 50 per cent for CM, 30 per cent for Deputy CM and ministers, 20 per cent for MLAs, for six months. High Court and district judiciary asked to consider 20-30 per cent deferment. Sukhu assures cuts will be restored once finances improve.MGNREGA to continue in HP, says CM SukhuMarch 21, 2026 2:13 pmCM Sukhu says the MGNREGA will continue in Himachal and four lakh ‘man-days’ will be generated for which state will provide money from its own kitty. This could put an additional burden of Rs 300 to 600 crore on the state governemt.Poorest of poor to be identified for upliftMarch 21, 2026 1:38 pmThe CM says the state’s BPL list to especially include names of the poorest of poor families. Presently, there are 2.65 lakh BPL families in the state and now, the government is identifying the poorest of the poor to uplift them. One lakh deprived poorest of poor families to be helped under Mukhya Mantri Apna Sukhi Parivar scheme. These families will get 300 units of free power. As many as 27,000 families out of these who do not have pucca house will be given help for houses, Rs 1,500 to be given to all women in these families as part of fulfilment of guarantee.Kangra Aero City on the cardsMarch 21, 2026 1:33 pmFor the tourism sector, the CM says contribution from tourism sector to economy will be enhanced from 7.78 to 9 per cent. Thrust will be on the promotion of sustainable and inclusive tourism. He says Kangra Aero City will be be developed for tourism promotion. New heli ports are on the anvil, he says, adding that a push would be given to temple tourism50 new ecotourism sites to be developedMarch 21, 2026 1:30 pmFor the forest sector, green cover to be enhanced from 29.5 to 32 per cent in 2026-27; plantation to be done on 8,000 hectares for which Rs 55 crore has been provised; women and youth mandals to be involved in undertaking plantations to ensure regular income for them; eco-tourism to be promoted as 50 new sites to be developed; bookings for 50 forest guest houses to be made onlineAnnouncements for fisheries sectorMarch 21, 2026 1:21 pmMSP for fish procurement at Rs 100 per kg under Mukhya Mantri Machuara Sahayta scheme; royalty rate on fisheries reduced to one per cent to benefit 6,000 fisherman families; Rs 3,500 to be given Samman Nidhi for two monsoons during ban on fishing; 90 per cent subsidy on purchase of fishing nets and 70 per cent subsidy on boat purchase; subsidy on purchase of refrigeration vans, free scooters and three wheelers to be given to fishermen; Risk Fund Scheme for trout farms with Rs 1 crore corpus fund; and Rs 5.50 crore for 100 new trout farming unitsCM announces constitution of HP Rajya Kisan Ayog to protect farmers’ interests and address their grievancesMarch 21, 2026 1:16 pmHorticulture sector announcementMarch 21, 2026 1:06 pmHigh yielding plant species will be provided to growers, 5 lakh grafted fruit saplings will be given. CM Sukhu says Rs 325 crore will be spent under the Shiva project along with provision for earning carbon credits to boost income for farmers.MSP for ginger fixed at Rs 30 per kg in BudgetMarch 21, 2026 1:04 pmHike in MSP of organic wheat, maize and turmericMarch 21, 2026 1:02 pmThe CM says 2.32 lakh farmers are engaged in natural organic farming. A dedicated marketing scheme for selling organic products has been launched. He announces a hike in MSP of organically grown wheat from Rs 60 to 80, maize from Rs 40 to 50 and turmeric from Rs 90 to Rs 150.Rs 62 crore allocated for promoting poultry farming under the PPP modeMarch 21, 2026 12:57 pmScheme launched for shepherdsMarch 21, 2026 12:55 pmCM Sukhu announces ‘Pehal’ scheme for 40,000 families of Gaddi, Gujjar and Kinnaura shepherds to provide them with digital card, insurance cover, better species of animals. He announces Rs 100 per kg rate for wool.Milk price up by Rs 10/litreMarch 21, 2026 12:52 pmThe CM announces a hike of Rs 10 for cow milk — from Rs 51 to Rs 61 per litre. The buffalo milk price is also up by Rs 10, from Rs 61 to Rs 71 per litre to strengthen the rural economy, he says.Growth pegged at 8.3 per cent for 2025-26March 21, 2026 12:49 pmSukhu says the state is expected to register a growth of 8.3 per cent for 2025-26. The PCI has increased to Rs 2,83,626 at 9.8 percent. This is also Rs 64,051 higher than the national per capita income.First time budget cut down by Rs 3,596 crore, says CMMarch 21, 2026 12:41 pmCM Sukhu says the stopping of RDG was an insult to the people of HP and the state would suffer losses of Rs 8,105 crore annually. He sayts the discontinuation of RDG has forced him to reduce the size of the budget from Rs 58,514 crore in 2025-26 to Rs 54,928 crore. It is for the first time that the size of the annual budget has been cut down by Rs 3,596 crore, he says.’Need to cut down on expenditure’March 21, 2026 12:37 pmHe says Himachal would not have been under debt trap had the previous BJP regime returned some amount of the loan out of Rs 70,000 crore that it got in five years from the Centre as RDG and GST compensation. He said the time to take populist measures was over as there was a need to cut down on unproductive expenditure. He said people of the hills were tough and resilient and would face financial crisis bravely.’State cannot become revenue-surplus’March 21, 2026 12:36 pmCM Sukhu says the state cannot become revenue-surplus. He says it is not getting adequate free power as royalty on the 13,000-MW hydel power being produced, over Rs 4,000 crore BBMB arrears are yet to be paid and Punjab had refused to return Shanan project back to HP. In the last eight years, the state has suffered almost 25,000-crore losses due to the new GST regime, he says.Take action against those who drafted speech: OppositionMarch 21, 2026 12:22 pmThe CM urges the Leader of Opposition to calm down and requests the Speaker to review his decision on the remarks to which the Opposition objected. Opposition MLAs return to their seats as CM again says Speaker can review his decision on the word which hurt the Leader of Opposition. The Opposition demands action against officials who drafted the speech. The CM says he has written the speech himself. The Speaker says Budget Speech should not be interrupted by anyone. He tries to placate the opposition members, who return to their seats.HP should have been given ‘green bonus’: SukhuMarch 21, 2026 12:20 pmCM Sukhu says HP is also not getting compensation for providing Rs 90,000-crore ecological services to the country by protecting its forests and rivers. “We should have been given a green bonus for this. On the contrary, our RDG has also been stopped,” he says.Himachal can never become a revenue-surplus state: CMMarch 21, 2026 12:17 pmThe CM continues reading budget proposals amidst the mayhem. He says hill states like Himachal are not economically viable and as such, they had been made special-category states, getting special financial assistance. It is wrong to compare HP with states like Assam and Karnataka as Himachal can never become a revenue-surplus state, he says. “Here the cost of development is far higher and there are not many sectors for revenue generation,” he says.CM’s language not unparliamentary: SpeakerMarch 21, 2026 12:14 pmThe Speaker says when everyone is given appropriate time to speak then what language is to be used in the CM’s speech cannot be decided by any MLA. “This is not unparliamentary language, “ says Speaker. Enraged over the remarks of the Speaker, Opposition members storm back into the House and gherao the podium of the Speaker. The Speaker asks the CM to continue with his Budget speech as opposition legislators continue sloganeering in the Well of the House.Speaker adjourns House for 15 minsMarch 21, 2026 12:09 pmHigh drama witnessed in the House amid exchanges between Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri and opposition members, who continue to raise slogans. The Speaker finally adjourns the House for 15 minutes. Ruling party MLAs start counter-sloganeering as Opposition leaves the house.Opposition enraged at CM’s remarksMarch 21, 2026 12:05 pmChief Minister hit out at the opposition right at the outset alleging it was “anti-Himachal” and not supportive of Himachal’s case for RDG. He says the people of the state will not forgive the BJP for this. An enraged Opposition marches to the Well of rhe House, raising slogans over the remarks by the CM. The CM continues reading his budget speech amidst the pandemonium. Speaker Kuldeep Pathania tries to restore order in the House as he urges the opposition members to take their seats.