Quoting budget document Capt Amarinder blasts Sukhbir’s imaginary economic figures
Thursday, 15/09/2011
http://my.amarindersingh.in/quoting-budget-document-capt-amarinder-blasts-sukhbir%E2%80%99s-imaginary-economic-figures
CHANDIGARH, September 14: Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh today blasted the fake and imaginary economic figures presented by Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at a press conference in Jalandhar yesterday saying, Sukhbir should have had a look at his own government’s papers before going public about it.
Quoting the budget document of the state government, “Punjab Budget at a Glance 2011-2012”, Capt Amarinder disclosed that on page ‘11’ of the document it is clearly mentioned that the “public debt of the state government” according to the budgetary estimates for 2011-2012 is Rs 77585 crores.
Added to this, he said, the same document mentions on page 9 that total “state PSUs’ debt and guaranteed debt as on 31st March (2011)” is Rs 55262.19 crores.
Plus, the PCC President added, the total debt of the Powercom (earlier PSEB) stands at Rs 20,000 crores which has been guaranteed by the state government.
Besides, the state has to pay the arrears worth Rs 6000 crores to its employees due to them on account of the Pay Commission recommendations which are pending for last some time.
He said, the state has asked the local bodies and market committees to go for borrowing money thus further adding to the debt liability. He pointed out, this totals to around Rs 1.58 lakh crores as on March 31, 2011. He observed, given the tendency of the state government of going for wanton borrowings despite strong opposition and resistance from the Congress the total debt by conservative estimates must have already crossed Rs 1.7 lakh crores in last one year, after the presentation of the budget.
Referring to Sukhbir’s charges of his blocking the funds, Capt Amarinder asserted, the state was not only in a debt trap, but on the verge of bankruptcy. “Sukhbir knows his government’s days are numbered so he is least bothered about the debt liabilities and why should we allow him to borrow and put liabilities on the next government”, he asked.
He also had a dig at Sukhbir for praising his father and himself by saying, they were a fatal combination. “These are the symptoms of despair when people stop praising you, you start praising each other”, he remarked.
