After the reports about the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab Government’s bid to take heavy loan came to the fore, the Leader of the Opposition (LoP), Partap Singh Bajwa on Tuesday lambasted the AAP for making deceitful claims about the fiscal health of the state. Citing a news report Bajwa said that the AAP government is planning to take Rs 12000 crore as a debt from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in April, May and June this year. It is just the beginning of the new financial year (2024-25), and the AAP government’s poor management of the economy has been exposed.
“The AAP government took Rs 3899 crore in January and February 2024 and Rs 3800 crore in March 2024 as loan. Similarly, AAP took a heavy loan last year too. Punjab Finance Minister, Harpal Singh Cheema boasted about presenting Rs 204918 crore budget for the 2024-25 Financial year, however, he did not inform that the government was planning to increase the debt burden of the state to fulfil its promises”, Bajwa added.
Senior Congress Leader, Bajwa said that the outstanding debt has been projected at Rs 374091 crore at the end of Financial Year 2024-25. However, debt on the state till 2023-24 financial year was Rs 3.43 lakh crore. Is this how the AAP has been managing the economy of the state?
“AAP supremo and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s pre-poll claims to raise revenue of Punjab from various sources including Rs 20000 annually from mining and Rs 340000 by ending corruption have proven to be hollow. Meanwhile, in two years of its regime, the AAP’s deceitful claims about the economy have been exposed. It has been running the routine activities of the government with borrowed funds”, Bajwa added.