With Punjab’s debt already crossing Rs1 lakh crore mark, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Thursday termed the State as “one of the least indebted States” in the country.
Debt, which was Rs1,02,234.48 crore last year, is estimated to be Rs1,12,627.57 crore by the end of the current fiscal year.
However, Badal said: “As compared to other States in the country, Punjab was least burdened with debt. However, the debt on Punjab is also due to productive loan, which has been aptly being utilised for the overall development of the State.”
Interacting with mediapersons during his sangat darshan programme at lambi Assembly segment, Badal said that Punjab was not any exception to execute development programmes by taking productive loans from financial institutions rather it was a common phenomenon that not only States but even big nations sought loans for carrying out their welfare programmes.
Clearing the mist over the misnomer that Punjab was burdened with heavy debt, the Chief Minister clarified that it was still amongst the least indebted states in the country. “Taking productive loans is a universal practice which is followed by advanced nations as well as big industrial companies across the globe,” he said.
Slamming the Congress party for doing petty politics over “non-existing issues”, the Chief Minister said that Congress party was allegedly unnecessarily raking up controversies to “score brownie points”.
The Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP Government has drawn flak from the Congress, which has charged the ruling combine of mortgaging state-owned properties, to raise hefty loan. Holding the Congress party responsible for a large number of social maladies being faced by the country, Badal said that problems like illiteracy, poverty, unemployment, corruption and others were result of “long misrule of Congress”.
“Before levelling any allegation on us, the Congress leaders must peep into their conscience as their party is solely responsible for every agony faced by the countrymen,” he added.
On a query with regard to naming of the international airport at Chandigarh, Badal said that the State Government was firm on its stand on naming the airport after legendary martyr Bhagat Singh.
Badal said that they have raised this issue with the Union Government, adding that there should be no controversy on this issue as no one would have objection in naming this airport after Shaheed Bhagat Singh.
“This airport must be named after Shaheed Bhagat Singh and controversy on it must be avoided at all costs,” he added.
On another query, the Chief Minister said that the work of distributing 10 per cent of the total compensation of cotton crop to the farm labourers would be completed soon.
He said that the eligible beneficiaries for this compensation would be identified at village level and the process would be over soon.