Overview
- Senior Congress leaders Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa and Balwinder Singh Dhaliwal demanded a white paper on Punjab’s finances.
- They alleged the AAP government is piling on new loans, citing nearly ₹9,500 crore raised in three months, a fresh ₹1,500 crore borrowing, and a plan to borrow about ₹40,000 crore in 2026–27.
- Randhawa said the state’s total liabilities have crossed ₹4 lakh crore, warned they could approach ₹4.47 lakh crore, and noted an average debt of more than ₹1.25 lakh per resident.
- The leaders argued new loans are being used to service old debt as salaries, pensions, electricity subsidies, and interest costs consume much of the budget.
- Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring vowed a party “financial chargesheet” if no white paper appears and warned the party may go to court or take the issue to Parliament.