Curtail your expenses, don't tax people: Manpreet to Badals

Slamming the Punjab government for imposing additional fuel and power cess, People's Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Singh Badal on Friday asked chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal to curtail their expenditures to improve state's fiscal health.

Slamming the Punjab government for imposing additional fuel and power cess, People's Party of Punjab (PPP) chief Manpreet Singh Badal on Friday asked chief minister Parkash Singh Badal and Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal to curtail their expenditures to improve state's fiscal health.

"The Chief Minister and the Deputy CM have a fleet of more than 200 vehicles. A battalion of the Punjab Armed Police has been deployed exclusively for their security. While it's being claimed that Punjab is a peaceful state, these leaders move around under such tight security cover.Then there is an additional expenditure on their air travel. This is an unnecessary burden on the exchequer," said Manpreet.

He asked the Chief Minister to reveal how much money was being spent on his security.

Manpreet pointed out that agrarian and industrial sectors were reeling under crisis which was aggravating by each passing day. Farmers' suicides were on the rise and many industrial units were closing down. Some industrial units have also shifted their base to neighbouring states that offer many sops, he said.