On the second day of the winter session of the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, the Opposition Congress targeted the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the mounting state debt, which has reportedly crossed Rs 4 lakh crore.
Congress legislators arrived at the Assembly premises with posters highlighting the rising loan amounts borrowed from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). In a symbolic protest, they carried begging bowls to underscore the state's precarious financial condition.
Accusing the BJP government of pushing the state into financial distress due to its "flawed policies," the Opposition claimed that the ballooning debt translates to a burden of Rs 55,000 per citizen. “In just the past two months, the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh has borrowed Rs 7,500 crore. Between 2021 and 2024, the state government secured loans amounting to Rs 1.22 lakh crore from the RBI,” Congress legislators stated.
Leader of the Opposition Umang Singhar demanded that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav's government present a white paper in the Assembly detailing the amounts borrowed and their utilization. “The BJP government borrows money every three months, yet there is no visible improvement in the state’s infrastructure. The government must clarify where the borrowed funds are being spent,” Singhar said.
He further alleged that a substantial portion of the loans is being spent on publicity campaigns by the BJP government. “We will raise this matter in the House and urge the Speaker to direct the government to present a detailed report on the expenditures of the past year,” Singhar told the media.
As per reports, the cumulative state debt has surpassed Rs 4 lakh crore, with Rs 7,500 crore borrowed in the last two months alone. The BJP has been in power in Madhya Pradesh since 2003, except for an 18-month period when the Congress briefly governed the state.
The winter session, which began on Monday, has already witnessed intense Opposition protests over fertilizer shortages, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House within two hours on the first day.
