Soon after Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Saturday claimed that the Central Government had given funds and foodgrains to the state to combat Covid-19, Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh lashed at her"for trying brazenly to mislead" the people, categorically rejecting her claims of central relief being provided to the state on account of Covid-19.
“Your information is absolutely incorrect,” said Capt Amarinder, in response to Harsimrat’s series of tweets in which she claimed that “Punjab received funds & grains to deal with Covid-19 crisis.”
“The State has received absolutely no money from the Central Government in its fight against Covid-19,” said the Chief Minister, terming Harsimrat’s remarks as another manifestation of her compulsive habit of lying and being ill-informed about even the basic facts relating to her own State.
Asking her to cross-check her facts before shooting out of her mouth, the Chief Minister said instead of using her office as a Central Minister to help out her own State, Harsimrat was shamelessly indulging in petty politics based on blatant falsehoods.
“You should be ashamed of spreading such false propaganda on such a major issue,” said Capt Amarinder to the Akali leader, pointing out that a time when political parties rising above petty considerations were joining hands across the country to fight this unprecedented crisis, including in Punjab, Harsimrat was using it to flagrantly promote her political agenda.
Sharing details of the funds sent by the Centre to the Punjab Government in a series of tweets, the Bathinda MP and Union Minister Harsimrat Badal said,“Punjab received funds & grains to deal with #Covid_19 crisis. I am sending you details @capt_amarinder. People want to know where are the things that came from Centre? Why no relief being given to them? Better you first distribute relief sent to u before making out a case for more.
“As far as funds received by Punjab after March 20 when #coronavirus broke out, please note the state received Rs 3,445 cr including Rs 2,366 cr on account of GST compensation & arrears, Rs 638 cr as RDG, Rs 247 cr for Disaster Mgt, Rs cr for MNREGA & Rs 72 cr under NHM,” she tweeted.
The Union Minister said the Centre had also sent wheat and pulses to the State Government. “This isn''t all CM Sahib. Centre has also sent 15 kg wheat & 3 kg pulses for 1.4 cr people which is half of state''s population. It''s still lying in Pb godowns & not reached a single household. Shouldn''t you prioritise work & ensure this relief reaches the needy at the earliest,” Harsimrat said in another tweet.
Chief Minister Amarinder Singh had been seeking the special package and release of pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) arrears of Rs 4,400 crore from the Centre. The special package includes Rs 729 crore for hospital upgradation and Rs 550 crore for setting up an institute for advanced virology.
However, the Chief Minister pointed out that the Rs 2,366 crore referred to by Harsimrat Badal on the GST count was Punjab’s money, in lieu of the GST owed to the state against arrears. And even there, Rs 4400 crore of the State’s money was still pending with the Government, he added. “You couldn’t even get our own pending arrears released, leave alone get us the much-needed relief package to fight the Covid battle,” he quipped. Even the other amounts mentioned by Harsimrat in her tweets were normal dues of the state, against various routine heads, “which have nothing to do with the Covid battle,” said the Chief Minister, expressing shock at the Akali leader’s attempts to lie her way out to cover up for her own failure to get any support for Punjab in this difficult hour.
As opposed to the 10,000 tonnes claimed by Harsimrat, the state had received only 42 tonnes of pulses so far, which was a joke considering the state’s requirement, the Chief Minister pointed out. He recalled that he himself had suggested that the Centre should arrange for 6 months of ration for the poor in all the States.
In fact, the Centre had even turned a blind eye to his suggestion to expeditiously lift the surplus grains lying in Punjab to free the storage space for the Rabi crop, Captain Amarinder said. “But they prefer to let the grains rot, and get the State Government to pay for the losses, instead of using it to feed the poor and needy people around the country,” he added.
Leave alone a relief package for Covid, the Centre was yet to even clear the pending bonus for farmers and insurance for employees, the Chief Minister noted.