Cong, SAD slam AAP govt in Punjab over Rs 2,500 cr of fresh borrowing

The AAP government in Punjab has been accused by opposition parties of putting the state in a "dangerous debt trap" through fresh borrowing of Rs 2,500 crore.

The Congress and SAD on Tuesday lashed out at the AAP government in Punjab, accusing it of putting an additional financial burden on the state exchequer with the fresh borrowing of Rs 2,500 crore.

The opposition parties claimed that the unchecked financial mismanagement was pushing the state towards a dangerous debt trap while future generations would be forced to pay the price.

Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring said the state government was again borrowing Rs 2,500 crore, thus putting another financial burden on the state exchequer.

''Another Rs 2,500 crore loan added to Punjab's burden, yet employees are still waiting for their DA, liabilities remain unpaid and the financial crisis is deepening. If the government is continuously taking loans, where is the money going?'' he said.

''DA pending for employees, payments delayed, debt rising every month, no industrial growth, no economic roadmap; Punjab cannot survive on advertisements and borrowing forever. This unchecked financial mismanagement is pushing the state towards a dangerous debt trap while future generations are forced to pay the price,'' Warring said.

He said AAP came to Punjab promising ''badlav'' (change) and they did bring change -- the state is now drowning in debt month after month.

''Instead of reducing the financial burden, they keep taking fresh loans to hide their failures,'' the Punjab Congress said in a post on X.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Bikram Singh Majithia too criticised the Bhagwant Mann government for fresh borrowings.

''Punjab's youth is struggling with unemployment, farmers remain buried under mounting debt and government employees are protesting on the streets for their rightful demands. Yet, instead of addressing these crises, Bhagwant Mann continues to burden Punjab with massive loans to ensure there is no compromise in the extravagant spending and comforts associated with Arvind Kejriwal and his government,'' Majithia said in a post on X.

A fresh debt of nearly Rs 2,500 crore has now been added to Punjab's burden, he said.

''Punjab is already inching towards a staggering debt of Rs 5 lakh crore, but the so-called 'kattar imaandaar' leadership appears more concerned about protecting its political power and spending crores on publicity,'' the former Punjab minister said.

Majithia said that at the pace these loans are being raised, every child born in Punjab may soon inherit a debt running into lakhs of rupees.

''Bhagwant Mann and Arvind Kejriwal must answer: Are you taking Punjab towards development or pushing it deeper into a financial crisis?'' he said.