Shanta Kumar slams Badal govt for failure to mobilise resources

Tuesday, 07/10/2014

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2014/20141007/punjab.htm#7

Chandigarh : Chinks in the SAD-BJP alliance have surfaced yet again with senior BJP leader and in charge of Punjab affairs Shanta Kumar slamming the Badal government for failing to mobilise resources and curtail administrative expenditure.

He has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, pointing out that most states, including Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, have a huge non-Plan expenditure that can be curbed by 10 per cent. “I have asked the Prime Minister to write to all state governments, including Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, that have huge administrative expenses, but repeatedly fail to meet committed liabilities, including payment of salaries to employees,” he told The Tribune.

Shanta Kumar has urged the Prime Minister to ask all states, especially those governed by the BJP and its allies, to follow the example set by the BJP government at the Centre and cut down non-Plan expenditure. Punjab’s non-Plan expenditure has been growing rapidly, from Rs 40,247.l73 crore in 2012-13 to Rs 43,019.94 crore in 2013-14. This year, it is expected to reach Rs 45,083.81 crore. Shanta Kumar says that other than the non-Plan expenditure being used for committed liabilities like interest payment, salaries and pensions, it also includes power subsidy and expenditure incurred on running a fleet of cars allotted to VIPs, which can be easily slashed.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has denied a special package to Punjab. Jaitley, in a letter to the Punjab Chief Minister, had pointed out all special grants that the state had received over the past 10 years and advised the state to go in for resource mobilisation by cutting its power subsidy and routing the Rural Development Fund and Infrastructure Development Fund through the state’s consolidated fund.

“The BJP is all for resource mobilisation and the BJP leadership has never asked the Akalis to roll back taxes. But the BJP leaders are for fair play. One section cannot be given subsidies while the state continues to tax the other sections,” Shanta Kumar said, referring to the taxes on urban consumers and free power and other sops given to agriculturists in the state.

Shanta Kumar’s utterances have led to a political debate. Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa said that nothing could be more humiliating for Badal than these observations on the functioning of his government “which has been resorting to profligacy and unproductive expenditure adding to the state’s debt burden.”

People’s Party of Punjab chief Manpreet Badal said: “Shanta Kumar has made it clear that the Punjab government has no right to ask for a special package.

“Moreover, the financial assistance to the states is governed by a set norms.”