Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday took on Congress legislature Party leader Charanjit Singh Channi head on in the discussion on the Budget even as Channi was at a loss to explain the achievements of the previous Congress-led Government headed by Capt Amarinder Singh.
When Deputy CM asked the Opposition leader to explain the single biggest achievement during Captain regime, the ClP leader was first at a loss of words and later said Capt Amarinder had conducted patch work on all roads during his tenure as CM. On second query of Badal to name any welfare scheme launched by the then Congress CM, Channi could not name any scheme. When Deputy CM asked third query on setting up any big industry in the state by Captain Amarinder Singh, the ClP leader again failed to come back with single count in this regard.
Before the verbal duel with Deputy CM, Channi termed the budget to be a political statement for the next assembly elections. Declaring it to be a hollow and directionless financial statement, Channi said that the Finance Minister Perminder Singh Dhindsa in his budget did not chalk out a plan to bring the state out of the debt-web that had been growing constantly.
Channi said that in the last budget of the 14th Vidhan Sabha, the government did not say a single word on its promises that it had made before elections in 2012. He said the budget was silent on generating 10 lac jobs.
The Deputy Chief Minister said the amount of development works carried out during previous nine years by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal led government remained unmatched and unparalled and the congress could not even dream of equalising them. He disclosed that the present SAD-BJP government made Punjab a power surplus state by commissioning 3 thermal plants and also strengthened the road infrastructure through 15000 KM new roads at a cost of Rs. 21000 crore besides carrying on the work concerning various memorials on war footing.
Badal termed as holistic and progressive the budget presented by Finance Minister, Parminder Singh Dhindsa.
He said that the budget would boost ‘Make In Punjab’ campaign of state government and new dimensions would be added to the success story of Punjab. Terming Punjab as the state well on road to rapid progress, he castigated opposition for carrying out a negative campaign of defaming the state. He disclosed that Punjab would be next hub of ‘Medical Tourism’ after attaining numero uno position in various sectors.
Making a comparison of Punjab in terms of facts during Congress and SAD-BJP Government, Badal said that performance of congress in VAT collection was just Rs. 4500 crore in 2007 which has now risen to Rs. 18000 crore. Divulging more, he said that during congress regime in 2006-07state earned Rs. 1350 crore from Excise
whereas during SAD-BJP Government it has increased to Rs. 5400 crore which is a clear cut proof transparent excise policy.