Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa on Sunday criticised the Bhagwant Mann-led Punjab government for its failure to revive the financial health of Punjab and escalating the debt burden on the state.
Bajwa said that instead of strengthening the economic condition of the state as promised by CM Bhagwant Mann and Delhi CM and AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal before the assembly elections in February 2022, they had made the state’s economy so fragile that the government has been begging for funds every now and then to smoothen the functioning of essential activities in the state.
The Congress leader made this statement as the AAP government in Punjab had planned to borrow ₹14,700 crore in the third quarter (October to December) of the financial year 2022-23. It is also worth mentioning here that the World Bank’s Board of Executive Directors in September this year already approved a loan of USD 150 million (approximately ₹1,200 crore) to Punjab to help the state better manage its financial resources and improve access to public services.
“Kejriwal had assured that he would shut down the illegal sand mining, which would consequently generate ₹20,000 crores in revenue that would benefit the people. He made similar claims to improve the financial situation of the state by ending corruption. All his promises and guarantees have evidently been in vain and in the span of just eight months state’s economy has been in shamble,” said Bajwa. The LoP went on to say that at this rate, the AAP government would burden the state with ₹2.65 lakh crore debt by the end of its tenure if it lasted till then. He alleged that It has been proven now that Kejriwal and Mann deceived the people of Punjab in the name of badlav (change). “Rather than spending crores of rupees recklessly on self-publicity, adding more vehicles in the cavalcade and befooling the people of poll-bound state Gujarat, Mann must take serious steps towards the betterment of financial health of the state,” Bajwa added.
{{/usCountry}}“Kejriwal had assured that he would shut down the illegal sand mining, which would consequently generate ₹20,000 crores in revenue that would benefit the people. He made similar claims to improve the financial situation of the state by ending corruption. All his promises and guarantees have evidently been in vain and in the span of just eight months state’s economy has been in shamble,” said Bajwa. The LoP went on to say that at this rate, the AAP government would burden the state with ₹2.65 lakh crore debt by the end of its tenure if it lasted till then. He alleged that It has been proven now that Kejriwal and Mann deceived the people of Punjab in the name of badlav (change). “Rather than spending crores of rupees recklessly on self-publicity, adding more vehicles in the cavalcade and befooling the people of poll-bound state Gujarat, Mann must take serious steps towards the betterment of financial health of the state,” Bajwa added.
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