Chandigarh, Apr 21 (PTI) The Congress and SAD on Tuesday slammed the AAP-led Punjab government over the issue of debt, alleging that due to continuous borrowing, the state is moving towards a “serious financial crisis”.
Congress MLA Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal alleged that the state government took a fresh loan of Rs 1,300 crore on April 21.
He also said the government had already borrowed Rs 1,500 crore on April 2. With the fresh loan, a total of Rs 2,800 crore was borrowed in this month alone, said Dhaliwal in a statement.
Conditions resembling a financial emergency exist in Punjab, he alleged.
Immediate corrective steps are necessary to prevent further deterioration of Punjab’s financial situation so as to ensure financial stability for future generations, said the MLA.
Dhaliwal said that Punjab’s total debt has now reached approximately Rs 4.17 lakh crore, and if this trend continues, it may increase further.
He appealed to the state government to present a clear and time-bound roadmap for debt management, increase transparency in public expenditure, and ensure that borrowed funds are primarily used for long-term asset creation and development works.
Senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia too lashed out at the Bhagwant Mann government over the “rising” debt.
“Punjab is being pushed into a debt trap and the government claims it has no funds to pay dearness allowance to employees,” he alleged.
He added that within just 20 days, the AAP government has increased Punjab’s debt by Rs 2,800 crore for their own comforts, despite earlier promises of not increasing the debt and reducing the existing burden.
Citing recent figures, Majithia said that under the present government, Punjab’s debt has crossed Rs 4 lakh crore, and at the current pace of borrowing, it may soon reach Rs 5 lakh crore.
“While the government always has funds for advertisements and AAP rallies across the country, the treasury becomes empty when it comes to paying employees’ dearness allowance,” he alleged.
At the beginning of April, the government had already taken a loan of Rs 1,500 crore, and now another Rs 1,300 crore has been borrowed, said the SAD leader. PTI CHS KVK KVK
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