Bajwa accuses Akali Dal of ‘doublespeak’ on economy
Tuesday, 09/02/2016
http://www.indiapress.org/gen/news.php/The_Tribune/
Chandigarh : Former PPCC chief Partap Singh Bajwa today said Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal and Finance Minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa should make it clear as to who among them was telling the truth on state’s economy.
He said: “Sukhbir tried to convince a gathering in Delhi recently that Punjab was not a debt-stressed state. The next day, Dhindsa, at a pre-budget meeting of the state finance ministers in Delhi, sought special package arguing that the 14th Finance Commission had overlooked the most deserving case of the state for debt relief. He wanted Punjab to be clubbed with West Bengal and Kerala for debt relief.
“One fails to understand who among the two is right as it is the Finance Minister who deals with state’s finances,” he stated.
He asked Sukbir to clarify his stand claiming that the Finance Minister could not be misleading while presenting state’s case with the Centre as the situation in all the states was also known to the Union Finance Ministry.
Badal govt fails to utilise central grants: Channi
Congress Legislature Party leader Charanjit Singh Channi today blamed the SAD-BJP government for its failure to avail the central grants or fully utilise the allocations made to it under various schemes over the years.
Basing his statement on RTI information, Channi said the allocation of Rs2,445.54 lakh under the National Rural Livelihood Mission of which only Rs777.13 lakh was realised as the state government failed to submit utilisation certificate.
Under the Swaran Jayanti Shehri Rozgar Yojna and national urban livelihood mission, the Centre gave Rs3,898.91 lakh till 2013, but the Punjab government could only give utilisation of Rs1,831.67 lakh, forcing the Centre to stop further release of funds.
He said of the central allocations of Rs56,825 lakh till October 2015, the state government could utilise only Rs24,264.02 lakh.
