Chandigarh, March 8
Punjab BJP President Sunil Jakhar arrived in Moga today to review preparations for the March 14 rally of Union Home Minister Amit Shah. While speaking to journalists, he said that the budget presented by the Aam Aadmi Party government would push the state into an even deeper debt crisis. He questioned where the money would come from to fund the promises made in the budget.
Jakhar said that helping poor and needy people is the government’s responsibility, but to ensure that this does not turn into another deception of the people before the Assembly elections, the government must clearly explain where the at least ₹1,000 crore required every month for the scheme promising cash assistance to women will come from and how this funding will continue in the future. He also questioned whether funds from other schemes would be cut to distribute money to women for a few months before elections and then abandon the scheme after securing votes.
The state BJP president said that schemes launched to buy votes without creating sources of revenue would only increase the burden of debt on the state, and ultimately the people of Punjab would bear this burden indirectly. He said that the Finance Minister himself admitted that the state’s debt would cross ₹4.59 lakh crore, and in reality it could reach ₹5 lakh crore by the end of the next financial year.
Jakhar said that before the elections Arvind Kejriwal had promised that new sources of revenue would be created, but the income from mining is visible to everyone, and it is also no secret where the money from illegal mining is going.
Taking a dig at the opposition, Jakhar said the Congress party has remained silent and its leaders do not have the courage to speak against the AAP government in the Assembly. He also said that Punjab buses are being sent to Rajasthan for painting, yet Congress leaders who were once allegedly blackmailed over bus body contracts from Rajasthan are still not raising their voices on the issue.
Referring to the upcoming BJP rally in Moga, Jakhar said there is strong enthusiasm among the people. He added that after being disappointed from main opposition Congress party and as well as by the governing party AAP , people are searching for a party with capable leadership that can pull Punjab out of the current crisis.
Jakhar said that public safety has become a major concern for the people, while infrastructure development has come to a halt in a state already facing severe economic distress. According to him, people are now hopeful that the BJP can correct the situation.
Meanwhile, reacting to the Punjab Budget, Bharatiya Janata Party Punjab’s Working State President Ashwani Sharma said that the budget is a major betrayal of the mothers and sisters of Punjab and is disappointing for farmers, employees and the common people. He said that the Aam Aadmi Party government, which was formed on March 16, 2022, will complete four years, that is 48 months, on March 16, 2026. If the Bhagwant Mann government was truly sensitive towards women, it should have made a provision in the budget to give them a lump sum of ₹48,000 for the last four years, calculated at ₹1,000 per month.
Sharma said that the government has announced giving ₹1,000 or ₹1,500 to women, but has not allocated the full required budget for it. Approximately ₹15,000 crore is required for this scheme, whereas only ₹9,300 crore has been provided in the budget. Moreover, the government has imposed a registration condition for the scheme. Just as the registration for the ₹10 lakh health insurance scheme has not been completed so far, it is clear that the registration for this scheme will also remain pending for a long time and women will not receive the benefits. He said that farmers have also been deceived because, despite electoral promises, MSP has not been provided for all 24 crops and MSP has not been given legal guarantee.
Sharma alleged that the state government is presenting funds coming under Central Government schemes as its own. Road projects worth about ₹15,000 crore are under Central Government schemes; houses being built for the poor, ₹3,504 crore under AMRUT 2.0, and facilities such as new classrooms and computers in schools are also being provided through funds from the Central Government. He further said that the budget has also ignored health services and the interests of employees, which has led to disappointment among the people.
