After announcing a free electricity scheme in Punjab, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday ordered a probe into the state’s Rs 3 lakh crore debt, which was allegedly deposited by successive governments.
Punjab is facing a debt crisis due to the inability of previous governments to raise revenue from its populist schemes.
“We will inquire where the money was spent and order recovery… It was public money,” Mann said.
According to sources in the Punjab government, the rising debt had created a crisis-like situation in the past. It is learned that the previous government had already borrowed Rs 19,393.86 crore between April, 2021 and February, 2022. If added to the previous years’ debt of Rs 2.48 lakh crore, the total debt would be Rs 2.67 lakh crore.
But the opposition is making fun of the idea. Welcoming the CM’s decision, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) has demanded an inquiry into all the advertisements issued by the Aam Aadmi Party government in the last one month.
The Akali Dal said that the previous Congress government had made an excuse of empty coffers to renegotiate all the promises made to the public. Despite knowing the reality of the state’s financial position before taking over the reins of the state, the chief minister has now come up with an excuse to investigate the reasons behind this situation. The Akali Dal feels that the probe should not come immediately to ensure 300 units of free electricity per month to all domestic consumers besides fulfilling the government’s promise of distributing Rs 1,000 to all women in the state,” said SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh. Cheema said.
Cheema also said that the advertisements issued by the state in the office in the last one month should be scrutinized. “As per reports, taxpayers money is being used to spread AAP’s propaganda across the country. Advertisements are being issued by the AAP government in regional languages to showcase its perceived achievements in South India and even in electoral states like Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh. Crores (rupees) have been spent for this purpose, which has not benefited Punjab or Punjabis in any way.
read all Breaking News , today’s fresh news And IPL 2022 Live Updates Here.