📷 Image: Wikimedia Commons / Ministry of Home Affairs
Politics
Former Himachal CM Jai Ram Thakur Slams State’s Rs 1,500 Scheme, Calls for BJP Review
✍️ The Chenab Times
🗓 15 Nov 2026, 01:01 AM
👁 23
Jai Ram Thakur, former chief minister of Himachal Pradesh, publicly condemned the state government's Rs 1,500 assistance scheme and said the BJP will examine its viability.
The Himachal Pradesh government recently introduced a cash‑assistance programme that provides Rs 1,500 to selected households as a short‑term relief measure. The scheme, announced by the incumbent administration, is intended to support vulnerable families during the current economic slowdown.
Jai Ram Thakur, who served as chief minister from 2017 to 2022, took to a public forum to denounce the initiative. He argued that the scheme places an undue fiscal strain on the state’s budget and lacks clear targeting criteria, making it an inefficient use of public funds.
Thakur added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh will undertake a thorough review of the programme. He said the party will assess its financial sustainability and explore alternative measures that better address the needs of the poor without compromising fiscal discipline.
Political analysts note that the criticism comes ahead of the next state assembly elections, where welfare schemes often become focal points of debate. The BJP’s response to Thakur’s remarks could shape its policy narrative in the run‑up to the polls.
Jai Ram Thakur, who served as chief minister from 2017 to 2022, took to a public forum to denounce the initiative. He argued that the scheme places an undue fiscal strain on the state’s budget and lacks clear targeting criteria, making it an inefficient use of public funds.
Thakur added that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh will undertake a thorough review of the programme. He said the party will assess its financial sustainability and explore alternative measures that better address the needs of the poor without compromising fiscal discipline.
Political analysts note that the criticism comes ahead of the next state assembly elections, where welfare schemes often become focal points of debate. The BJP’s response to Thakur’s remarks could shape its policy narrative in the run‑up to the polls.