Amarinder demands white paper on Punjab's economy

Punjab Congress today demanded a white paper on the state's economy and blamed the SAD-BJP government for allegedly putting the state into "financial mess."
Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Amarinder Singh in a statement issued here demanded that Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal bring a white paper on the state of economy in Punjab.
"The state debt has already crossed 1.25 lakh crore and by the time the Akalis are thrown out, the debt would already have crossed Rs 1.4 lakh crore," Amarinder claimed.
"So much so the state has to take loans to service its debts", he said and alleged that the Akalis have mortgaged the jails and old age homes to get further loans for survival.

"And if Sukhbir still believes that the state of economy is not bad and this was being deliberately done to malign the government's image he should better bring out a white paper and bring out the truth before the public", he suggested.
Amarinder also targeted SAD's ally BJP in the state and alleged, "Bharatiya Janata Party cannot wriggle out of the mess it has created in Punjab in alliance with the Shiromani Akali Dal by simply walking out at the eleventh hour after having enjoyed power for last nine years."

Reacting to the reports that some state BJP leaders want to part ways with the Akalis, the PCC president said, although it was their internal affair whether to continue with the alliance or not, one thing the party cannot escape is the onus and responsibility for being partners in the "sins of omission and commission" of this government during last nine years.

"If the BJP thinks that by walking out of the alliance at the eleventh hour, people of Punjab can forgive it, the party is badly mistaken", he said, while pointing out, at no point of time did the party raise any objection to the "rampant loot" the Akalis resorted to.
He said, rather they became "equal partners" in everything.
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Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today asked Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh not to "mislead" people by stating random figures knowing fully well that productive debt stimulate growth and was good for the State.
Stating that Amarinder could not be so financially "ignorant", SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said even progressive nations took productive debt to bolster their economies.

Clearing the "mist over the misnomer" that Punjab was burdened with heavy debt, Cheema, also the Education Minister claimed Punjab was still amongst the least indebted states in the country.
He claimed compared to other states in the country Punjab was least burdened with debt.
Slamming the Congress party for doing petty politics over non-existing issues, Cheema said Congress party was unnecessarily raking up controversies to score brownie points.