CM causing loss of hundreds of crores with confrontation with the Punjab Governor and union govt: SAD

April 22, 2024 10:51 am

Published by: thefactnews

The Fact News Service

Chandigarh, June 13

The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today said chief minister Bhagwant Mann’s unseemly confrontation policy and unconstitutional conduct with Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit and the union government had caused losses of hundreds of crores to the State besides endangering the health sector as well as neglect of essential rural infrastructure.

In a statement here, senior SAD leader Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema said it was Punjab’s misfortune that its chief minister was not working as per constitutional norms and was engaged in a public war of words with the Governor instead of working to fulfill the needs of Punjabis.

He said the recent statement of the Governor that the chief minister had not cared to reply to his ten letters spoke volumes of how the State was being run under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) dispensation.

Asserting that Punjab was suffering due to the chief minister’s unseemly conduct, Dr Daljit Cheema said “even while the need of the hour was to generate more funds, the chief minister was unable to even get the State’s dues released from the central government”.

He said the chief minister had failed to forcefully take up the issue of release of Rural Development Fund (RDF) funds due to the State with the centre.

Dr. Cheema said besides this, the State had let go of nearly Rs 800 crore due from the National Health Mission. “The chief minister insisted on creating Aam Aadmi clinics going against the norms of the center which resulted in denial of funds to it from the NHM. Now when the health sector is on the brink of collapse the AAP government has transferred doctors and staff posted in the Aam Aadmi clinics back to primary and rural dispensaries”.

Asking the chief minister to run the State keeping in view the wishes of Punjabis as well as the promises made to them, the SAD leader said it was unfortunate that the chief minister was depending on confrontation and cheap publicity accompanied with a Rs 750 crore advertising budget to run the State.