Chandigarh: Mr. Sukhbir Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Punjab has put a stop on the ongoing debate about the so called ailing fiscal health of Punjab after putting forward a detailed comparative presentation of 6 years of Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP government led by S. Parkash Singh Badal with the Congress government headed by Capt Amarinder Singh till 2007.
Campaign launched about fiscal health of Punjab
UPA led congress in grip of severe financial crisis-Sukhbir Badal
Addressing a press conference here today, the Deputy Chief Minister said that instead of blaming the Punjab government of having ill fiscal health, the Congress led UPA government in India was under severe financial crisis and burdened with huge budgetary deficit which needs immediate attention. He categorically said that there was no financial crunch in the state as has been frequently reported in media by the anti Punjab elements. Mr Badal asserted that productive utilization of debt was not bad always and essential for growth as no business, country and state could survive without loan. He firmly said that Punjab Government had never defaulted in the last 7 years on payment of salaries, pensions, principal repayment, employee arrears etc.
He said that Punjab was working in an absolute focused approach to usher in an era of administrative reforms besides upgrading the infrastructure of the state including Power, Roads, Education, Civil Aviation sectors to induce investors to invest heavily in the state. He said that industrial growth in Punjab had suffered tremendously during the previous congress government on infrastructural development. The SAD-BJP government had promised to correct this structural imbalance in the economy of the state and rapid development of infrastructure during last term has already stated showing its results.
Reiterating his resolve to bring Punjab back on the track of development and progress, Mr. Badal said that he had fulfilled his dream to make Punjab number one state on development index and was fully satisfied that the state was able to provide a big push to development despite step motherly policies adopted by Congress led UPA Government in allocation of central funds since last 6 years.
Mr Badal condemned the deliberated misinformation campaign launched by a handful of people with vested interests about the fiscal health of Punjab. The reality was that debt to GSDP ratio decreased to 31.5 % from 43 % in 2012, he explained.