Bajwa warns of economic disaster, condemns Sukhbir for Goa 'Vichar Manthan'

Condemning the ruling SAD-BJP government for its economic policies aimed to make people into “paupers”, Punjab Congress on Sunday warned that the State was heading for an “economic disaster”.

Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) president Partap Singh Bajwa said that it was an irony that at a time when the financial situation of Punjab was in “peril”, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal has flown to Goa for SAD-BJP's “luxurious” ‘Vichar Manthan’ conclave.

 “Due to mismanagement of funds, the Badal government has been borrowing heavily and desperately selling immovable assets of the state government to run its daily expenses…The people are heavily taxed and the time is not far when people will be forced to mortgage their properties to pay the taxes,” state Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa said.

“Punjab is on the edge of fiscal cliff...by merely controlling wasteful expenditure, the state government could have avoided the present situation that too without imposing heavy taxes like the property tax,” he said adding that all the key businesses were monopolized and mafias are ruling the roost.

Bajwa also held Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal held “personally responsible for the financial mess” and advised him to come out of his closed mind set, discontinue wasting money on political gimmicks.

Taking a dig at Badal for the status of ‘statesman politician’ bestowed upon him by his party, Bajwa asked him to demonstrate bit of it.