Chandigarh, April 7 Leaders of opposition parties in Punjab targeted the AAP government on Tuesday over the state's debt, accusing it of further burdening the state's finances by taking an additional loan of Rs 1,500 crore.
Expressing concern over the "rising debt", they claimed that the fresh borrowing of Rs 1,500 crore would take the total outstanding debt to more than Rs 4 lakh crore.
Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia criticized the Bhagwant Mann government, questioning its financial priorities and claiming that the fresh borrowing has been undertaken at a time when the state is already under "significant debt".
In a statement, Majithia alleged that instead of focusing on fiscal discipline or reducing liabilities, the government continues to "rely on loans, thereby pushing Punjab deeper into financial stress".
Majithia further criticised the AAP government, stating that the party had come to power with a promise to reduce Punjab's debt and not to impose any additional financial burden on the state.
However, he alleged that in the last four years, the government has done the opposite by continuously taking loans.
"This approach has not only increased the debt but has also weakened Punjab's economic position," he claimed.
Stating that Punjab was once considered a prosperous state, Majithia said the current financial trajectory has pushed it towards "economic distress".
He alleged that instead of making Punjab "rangla" (vibrant) as promised, the government's policies have made it "financially strained".
Congress MP Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa also slammed the AAP government over fresh borrowing, alleging that the Bhagwant Mann government is "pushing Punjab towards a financial emergency."
Development works have stalled, and the debt burden per citizen has risen to over Rs 1.26 lakh, he claimed in a statement.
Randhawa claimed the state's debt has increased by more than Rs 1.33 lakh crore during the tenure of the AAP government.
"A major portion of this borrowing is being used to service past liabilities and to fund free electricity and subsidies. To fulfil the promise of 300 units of free electricity, the government is providing over Rs 20,400 crore annually as subsidy to the power utility," said the former deputy chief minister of Punjab.
Criticising the government's priorities, Randhawa alleged that instead of focusing on public welfare, funds are being spent on political showmanship.
"Loans are being used for national-level advertisements and frequent chartered flights by the Chief Minister, rather than for genuine development," Randhawa alleged.