Subsidy Withdrawal needs Vidhan Sabha Sanction - 20/01/2010

Having absolutely bankrupted the State over the past 3 years, the ruling alliance has now added insult to injury by selectively briefing parts of the media on the particulars of the 2 member committee report on subsidy withdrawal.

In doing so the authority of the Punjab Finance Minister Mr Manpreet Badal stands shattered and one questions how much longer he will be able to withstand this public humiliation by the ruling family.

Leaking the report in part goes against democratic principles and is detrimental to the process of scrutiny by politicians, experts and the public that all all documents of profound signifance should face.

The full report should be made public at the earliest.

Mobilising additional resources of Rs.4000 crores is tatamount to a Supplementary Budget which can only be sanctioned by the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.

This government should either defer these proposals to the Annual Budget due to be presented by the Finance Minister in a few month’s time or it should call an Emergency Session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha to discuss the reasons for the current financial disaster and to debate the proposals of the two man committee.

The withdrawl of the power subsidy amounts to yet another broken manifesto pledge and is a further nail in the coffin of this government.

The long delay is finalising the report fully reflects the inherent contradictions within the ruling alliance.

The new found interest of the Deputy Chief Minister in reading “The Economist” is welcome but it is sadly too late for him to learn about either good governance or financial prudence.

Submitting this report to the Cabinet is unconstitutional, for the Cabinet lacks the legal authority to sanction this unprecedented revenue enhancement.

Beyond question, the State’s finances today reflect its complete bankruptcy. Unlike the bankruptcy of a company where the pain is shared by the creditors, the bankruptcy of Punjab represents heartache, agony and a future financial burden on the head of every Punjab resident.

This report needs full public scrutiny and an open Vidhan Sabha debate in the absence of which the  Punjab Governor in waiting, Sh. Shivraj Patil, may well, as his first act of office, consider recommending that the Union Government dismiss this insincere, ineffective and financially irresponsible Punjab Government. In so doing

Jassi Khangura MLA,
Halqa Qila Raipur, Punjab
Chandigarh

20 January 2010