Chandigarh, March 17
A day after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, on March 16, showcased his government’s four year “achievement card”, senior Akali leader Bikram Singh Majithia on Tuesday said the latest reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General have “punctured the so called achievement balloon”, exposing what he termed as a deep governance and fiscal crisis in Punjab.
Launching a sharp attack on the AAP government, Majithia said the CAG findings, highlighted in multiple newspaper reports, present a stark contrast to the claims made by the Chief Minister. “While Bhagwant Mann was busy projecting achievements, the CAG has laid bare the reality. The report does not lie and has stamped Punjab’s fiscal health close to zero,” he said.
Referring to the audit observations, Majithia said the state is grappling with rising debt, widening fiscal deficits and repeated violations of basic financial norms. He alleged that Punjab’s financial condition has deteriorated steadily under the present dispensation, with no credible roadmap for recovery. He pointed out that borrowings are increasing sharply, even as development expenditure continues to shrink. According to him, the government is increasingly relying on loans to meet routine expenditure rather than investing in growth oriented sectors. “Punjab is being run on loans, not leadership,” he remarked.
Majithia said a large share of the state’s revenue is being consumed by committed liabilities such as salaries, pensions, subsidies and interest payments, leaving limited fiscal space for capital expenditure. “When most of the budget is pre committed, there is little left for development. This reflects a complete lack of fiscal planning,” he said.
Citing other findings, he said the CAG has flagged inefficiencies in fund utilisation, irregularities in financial management and poor implementation of key projects. He referred to mounting losses in state public sector undertakings, particularly in the power sector, as well as gaps in urban governance, including poor revenue collection and incomplete works.
The Akali leader also pointed to discrepancies between official claims and ground realities in sectors such as waste management, urban infrastructure and delivery of basic services. “The gap between claims and reality is now officially recorded in audit reports,” he said.
Targeting the AAP leadership, Majithia alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal were focused on “optics and publicity” rather than addressing structural financial issues. He further claimed that key decisions affecting Punjab were being driven from Delhi. He also questioned the Chief Minister’s recent assertions on the government’s performance over the past four years, stating that the CAG findings contradict those claims. “The government’s narrative of success has been exposed within 24 hours,” he said.
Warning of serious long term implications, Majithia said the rising debt burden and continued fiscal mismanagement could push Punjab into a deeper economic crisis. He stressed that dependence on borrowings without corresponding asset creation would only worsen the situation.
Calling for accountability, Majithia said the government must present a clear and honest picture of Punjab’s finances and take urgent corrective measures. “Governance cannot run on publicity. Accountability is missing, and Punjab is paying the price,” he said.
The CAG findings have once again triggered a political debate in the state over financial discipline, transparency and the direction of governance, with the opposition using the audit reports to question the AAP government’s claims and performance.
