Cong’s ‘critique’ blames govt for rising debt
Friday, 22/03/2013
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130322/punjab.htm#4
Chandigarh : The Punjab Congress, that has opted to sit out of the Vidhan Sabha, has come out with a blistering criticism of the state Budget, which was unveiled yesterday, stating that the neighbouring Haryana had outdone Punjab on the fiscal front and that the state debt had risen manifold during the SAD-BJP rule.
Senior leader and former Finance Minister Laal Singh today read out his "critique" at the parking area of the assembly complex amid Congress legislators seated on plastic stools brought from their homes in their SUVs.
Laal Singh put a peg table upon another to place his “Budget file” and used a hand-held battery operated microphone to get his word across to the media as well as a motley of official drivers and security personnel gathered there.
Laal Singh, addressing a mock assembly with senior leader Jagmohan Singh Kang acting as 'Speaker', said Punjab stood nowhere on the fiscal front when compared with its sister state Haryana. He said in 2011-12, against an Punjab's Annual Plan of 11,500 crore, Haryana had a Plan of Rs 13,200 crore.
The Congress leader said while Punjab had a fiscal deficit of Rs 8,924 crore, which was 3.26 per cent of its GSDP, Haryana’s deficit stood at Rs 8,132 crore, which was only 2.3 per cent of the state deficit. In case of revenue deficit, the former Finance Minister said against Punjab’s deficit of Rs 3,123 crore (1.14 per cent of the GSDP), Haryana’s revenue deficit was only Rs 2,443 crore (.59 per cent of GSDP).
Laal Singh said the state had a debt burden of Rs 15,344 crore in 1992 during the Congress rule which went up to Rs 32,496 crore during the SAD-BJP rule during 1997-2002. In the next five years of the Congress rule, the debt increased by Rs 17,844 crore. But in the last six years the debt had increased to Rs 92,804 crore, an increase of Rs 44,460 crore, during the SAD-BJP rule.
Claiming that the Budget document was a photo-feature and hid the debt accumulated by Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), the Congress leader claimed that loans taken by PSUs in Punjab had risen to Rs 64,223 crore. In stark contrast, the PSUs in Haryana had taken loans of Rs 5,600 crore only.
The mock assembly witnessed the passing of a resolution moved by Guruharsahai legislator Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, urging that the Election Commission be approached to derecognise political parties who failed to honour at least 75 per cent of the poll promises made in their election manifesto.
“Speaker” Kang announced that the government had failed to honour its promise to grant development funds to its legislators on the pattern of MPLAD (MP Local Area Development) funds.
He said other states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, had earmarked Rs 1.5 to Rs 4 crore to MLAs for this purpose.
At Mock assembly...
Former Finance Minister Laal Singh reads out "critique" at the parking area of the House complex (see pic)
Congress legislators seated on plastic stools brought from their homes in their SUVs gather around him
Laal Singh puts a peg table upon another to place his “Budget file”
Uses a hand-held battery operated mike to get his word across
