Punjab CM orders expenditure cuts for all departments to meet COVID-19 funds

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday ordered expenditure cuts for all government departments to meet urgent expenses needed to deal with the coronavirus pandemic.

He has asked all departments to submit detailed proposals on expenditure cuts by April 8.

"We have to save people, that should be our priority," the chief minister said at a meeting of the council of ministers.

Singh said resources have to be made available to health, police and other departments directly involved in the current battle, which threatens to be a long one.

With no additional revenues coming in, the only way out is to cut expenditure, he stressed, adding that every department will need to make cuts in order to generate revenue for the critical care services.

Finance Minister Manpreet Badal earlier told the Cabinet that the state would suffer Rs 5,000 crore revenue losses in April and the figure was expected to go up further in the absence of revenue from GST and petroleum taxes.