Broke Punjab cannot seek financial package from Centre: Channi

Saturday, 13/02/2016

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Chandigarh : Snubbed by the Narendra Modi government, the Punjab government headed by Parkash Singh Badal seems to have finally compromised with the bankruptcy it is facing going by the record according to which no request for financial assistance is pending with the centre and this also speaks volumes about the strained relations between the Shiromani Akali Dal and the Bharatiya Janata Party.

This was asserted here on Friday by the Congress Legislature Party chief Charanjit Singh Channi citing RTI information from NITI Aayog. The NITI Aayog, in reply to information sought under the RTI Act through Jasdeepak Singh, has stated on February 4: “We do not have any request/proposal from Government of Punjab for financial help/package during current financial year”.

He said Parkash Singh Badal and Sukhbir Singh Badal must tell the people as to what were the basis for this worthless alliance in case the state government lacks guts even to seek financial package and that too when it is becoming increasingly difficult for the state government even to pay salaries on time to the employees. The debt on the farming sector has risen to Rs 70,000 crore and the farmer suicides are increasing day-by-day due to this debt burden. Even the loan on the Punjab government has multiplied. Very recently the finance minister Parminder Singh Dhindsa also spoke about the Finacial Package to the state “is this the truth Finance minister”. You are not clear what is happening in your own department.

Channi referred to the meeting Sukhbir Badal and the party Secretary General Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa with the BJP president Amit Shah to sort out irritants earlier this week. “Is Badal apprehensive that such a request might not be entertained by the Modi government going by what has been happening earlier? These ruling leadership has got so demoralised after coming into power of the government of its alliance partner headed by Narendra Modi that it dare not seek financial assistance”, he said.

He questioned the basis of this alliance in case the centre was not coming to the help of the state government. He said on the contrary, Punjab had been subjected to cuts in Central financial assistance. The CLP chief lambasted the Badal government for raising funds by way of loans rather than seeking financial package from the centre thereby adding to the already heavy tax burden. He pointed out that the per capita debt in Punjab was amongst the highest in the country.

He questioned Badal on this issue and asked him whether this situation had arisen due to refusal of the Modi government to come to the rescue of Punjab or some other reason.