SAD leader urges Punjab Govt to impose financial emergency in Punjab

Senior Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Mahesh Inder Singh Grewal on Friday sought that a financial emergency should be immediately imposed in Punjab, citing that the state government has "messed up its finances and has brought the state to brink of disaster."

In an official statement issued on Friday, Grewal said, "Such an emergency would wriggle out the state from the present imbroglio and once the state is on rails again, the emergency would be automatically revoked."

Launching a scathing attack on the Capt. Amarinder Singh led Congress government, he said that the government in the state has failed to meet its financial liabilities.

He further said that the 'Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana' or the Universal Health Insurance Scheme which was to be started on July 1 could not be started due to lack of funds.

"Last year, the government had decided to club the central government's' Ayushman Bharat with its own scheme to make it broad-based but now the people have been duped and denied the health benefits," the SAD leader said.

"Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) has not received its dues to the tune of Rs. 201 crore for the free textbooks given to school children belonging to Schedule Caste, OBCs and BC. The PSEB has already exhausted its reserves to pay salaries to its employees and pensioners," Grewal said.

Further alleging the state government of not releasing committed subsidy of Rs. 2300 crore to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), he said, "It left little money to purchase power on day to day basis and clear coal dues and power."

He alleged that the local bodies department is worst affected as the salaries and pensions are rarely released on time.

"The overall fiscal scenario is dismal. No DA instalment has been released since it came to power in 2017 and the government is in no position to improve its revenue inflow," Grewal said.

"If the state government adopted a stoic silence to this grim situation, the Akalis would not be passive spectators and take to the streets to highlight the fiscal emergency situation and force the government to impose emergency", He further added on behalf of the SAD party.