CHANDIGARH: The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today alleged that the National Fiscal Health Index 2025 which had ranked Punjab last among the 18 major states in the country was a true reflection of the performance of chief minister Bhagwant Mann as well as depiction of the manner in which he had ruined the financial health of the State.Expressing shock at the latest findings of the Niti Aayog, senior SAD leaders Bikram Singh Majithia and Dr Daljit Singh Cheema said, “chief minister Bhagwant Mann had promised to make Rangla Punjab but he has turned it into Kangla Punjab” even as they demanded the chief minister and finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema submit their resignations immediately after this damning indictment.The leaders said Punjab had failed comprehensively on all five parameters listed in the Fiscal Health Index including quality of expenditure, revenue mobilization, fiscal prudence, debt indices and debt sustainability. “Punjab has won the dubious distinction of allocating only ten per cent of total development expenditure on capital expenditure which is proof that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government has diverted public funds for party use. The SAD demands a high level probe be conducted into this diversion and the money so misused be recovered from AAP,’’ they said.Majithia and Cheema said the Fiscal Health Index had busted many myths spun out by AAP and laid bare its real performance. “As per the report, the social services spending as well as the spending on health and education decreased during AAP rule even as backlog of incomplete projects impacted capital expenditure, they said and added that the report also listed that debt sustainability was in the negative and would continue to rise unless there was some intervention.The leaders alleged all this happened because chief minister Bhagwant Mann did not work for the welfare of Punjabis and instead worked for AAP’s national Convener Arvind Kejriwal. “The treasury of Punjab was looted to take the message of Arvind Kejriwal across the country. Thousands of crores were spent on `bogus’ advertisements in the electronic, print and social media. Hundreds of crores were spent on providing security to non-Punjabi leaders of the party and even now the chief minister was adamant of providing needless Z plus security to Arvind Kejriwal,’’ they said.
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