New Delhi, May 23 (H.S.): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday accused the Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann of pushing the state towards a deep financial and administrative crisis. The party alleged that instead of stabilising Punjab’s economy after coming to power in 2022, the Aam Aadmi Party government has allowed the state’s debt burden to rise sharply.

In a statement issued on Saturday, BJP spokesperson R.P. Singh said that Punjab was already under a debt burden of nearly Rs 2.7 lakh crore when the AAP government assumed office in 2022. However, instead of improving the fiscal situation, the state’s total debt is now projected to reach an alarming Rs 4.5 lakh crore by 2027.

Singh claimed that the state government has been taking massive loans every year and that a major portion of Punjab’s revenue is now being used merely to repay old debts and interest liabilities. As a result, expenditure on development activities has steadily declined, while delays are being witnessed in the payment of salaries, pensions and grants. He further alleged that pending dues under various welfare schemes are also mounting across sectors.

According to Singh, reports suggest that Punjab may have to spend more than Rs 42,000 crore solely on debt servicing during the financial year 2026-27, including nearly Rs 29,000 crore towards interest payments alone.

He said even Punjab’s Finance Minister has admitted that a large portion of new borrowings is being utilised to repay earlier loans instead of being invested in fresh development projects or the creation of public assets.

The BJP spokesperson alleged that ordinary citizens are bearing the brunt of the worsening financial situation. He claimed that teachers in government-aided colleges are struggling because of delays in grants, while Punjab University has repeatedly faced funding disputes and delays in the release of financial assistance.

He further said that government employees have been protesting over pending dearness allowance arrears, pensioners are waiting for their rightful dues, MGNREGA workers are complaining about delayed wage payments, and ASHA workers have been staging protests over unpaid incentives and honorariums.

“This is not merely poor governance; it reflects a deep cash crunch and administrative paralysis,” Singh said. He added that Punjab, once known for its prosperity, agriculture, industry and educational institutions, has now reached a stage where universities, colleges, labourers, pensioners and welfare beneficiaries are being pushed into uncertainty, while the government continues to spend crores of rupees on advertisements and political publicity.

The BJP leader said Punjab does not deserve to have its financial distress hidden behind promotional campaigns and political optics.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar