Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, who presented the Budget on Saturday, arrived at the State Assembly driving his Maruti Suzuki Alto.
Sukhi, ever since becoming the Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh after the Congress formed its government in the state last year, has been trying to establish his image as a common man’s leader.
The Himachal CM drove his white Alto accompanied by his security convoy before attending his second budget session. A video of the chief minister driving the vehicle to the assembly was shared on the internet.
Sukhu presented the annual Budget of Rs 58,444 crore for 2024-25 with a focus on the agriculture sector and announced an increase in the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for milk.
Sukhu hiked the MSP of cow milk from Rs 38 to Rs 45 per litre and buffalo milk from Rs 47 to Rs 55 per litre. The state's fiscal deficit is Rs 10,784 crore, which is 4.75 per cent of state domestic product, while the size of the annual Budget is Rs 58,444 crore, the government said. Sukhu said that of every Rs 100, Rs 28 will be used for development works, Rs 25 on salaries, Rs 17 on pensions, Rs 11 on interest payment, Rs 9 on loan repayment and Rs 10 on grants to autonomous institutions.
This isn't the first time that the Himachal CM was seen driving his modest car to the assembly. In March last year, Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu drove his Maruti Suzuki Alto to attend the Budget session at the State Assembly.
He has previously said that he had been using the car since he became an MLA in 2003.
He has also been seen on different occasions strolling at Shimla’s Mall Road and meeting people during morning walks.
Sukhu is the son of a Himachal Road Transport Corporation driver and once ran a milk counter in Chotta Shimla.