Chandigarh, Feb 27 (PTI) The Congress on Friday demanded a white paper on the “rising debt” of Haryana, even as Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini asserted that the state’s fiscal direction remains responsible and well within prescribed limits.
Speaking to reporters after the day’s proceedings in the ongoing Budget Session of the Haryana Assembly, senior Congress leader B B Batra said the government must provide a detailed account of the state’s financial liabilities.
Batra noted that the government should clarify the debt levels. “What was the debt in 2005? How much was it in 2014, and how manifold it increase till 2026? The government should issue a white paper.” The demand came after recent claims by Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who stated that the state’s total debt grew from Rs 60,000 crore to more than Rs 5 lakh crore at present.
Responding to the opposition’s allegations during his reply to the debate on the governor’s address in the State Assembly, Chief Minister Singh Saini rejected the claims that the state had been pushed into excessive debt.
He argued that a factual comparison of debt growth between the previous Congress tenure and the current administration favoured the present government.
Saini informed the House that during the Congress tenure from 2004-05 to 2014-15, debt liabilities increased by 458.30 per cent. In contrast, he stated that between 2014-15 and 2024-25 under the BJP government, the increase was 227.49 per cent, which he noted was less than half the increase recorded during the Congress years.
The chief minister further cited budget estimates for 2025-26, projecting the state’s fiscal deficit at 2.67 per cent of the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP).
He emphasised that this remains within the 3 per cent limit prescribed under the FRBM Act by the 15th Finance Commission, reflecting prudent financial management.
Highlighting the state’s commitment to its financial obligations, Saini said the government has paid Rs 3,66,016 crore towards debt servicing over the past ten years. This includes Rs 1,61,796 crore in interest payments and Rs 2,04,220 crore towards the repayment of principal. PTI SUN AKY
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