Patiala, April 21, 2020: Bir Devinder Singh says Punjab Chief Minister Capt. Amarinder Singh and Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal Union Minister are locking horns with each other, unabatedly for the last few days, on the issue of fiscal grants to Punjab released by the central government in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.
The former Deputy Speaker, Punjab Vidhan Sabha and Senior Vice President, SAD (Taksali), said, “An inappropriate public brawl in the media by both the personalities, occupying constitutional positions; has obligated me to check the factual position in the matter as to who is lying. It requires intense colloquy to scrutinize the facts.”
“The figures of amount Mrs. Harsimarat Kaur Badal has given and the same are un-proportionately being boasted and publicized on the captive electronic media of the family; does not corroborate with the facts. As a matter of fact, any funds that Government of India releases to any State Government, for a specific purpose, a sanction letter is issued by the Pay & Accounts officer, of the concerned Ministry of the Govt. of India, clearly defining the purpose and usage of the fund, thereafter funds are immediately released to the State treasury of the concerned State.”
“And if the funds pertains to any specific scheme of any State Government Department where a separate Bank account has been opened (As per GOI’s directions), then the funds are deposited by GOI directly to that account. It is confirmed and verified that all these amounts that are rhetorically being mentioned by Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal, pertain to the due share of Punjab, which the State gets routinely every year,” Bir Devinder said.
“As regards Rs. 6000 crore funds, it is crystal clear from the language itself that these are not the funds released now, specifically to deal with the eventuality of Covid-19 and its consequential financial implication for the State. It might be the only sum, total of yearly instalments of SDRF (State Disaster Response Fund), which every State Government receives from GOI, every year. SDRF is the primary fund available with states for disaster response and it is constituted under Section 48 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DM Act). These funds might have been utilized or some part of it may be lying with the State Government,” he said.
“Yes, it is correct that this year’s first installment of Rs. 247 crores has been routinely released to Punjab, but where is the special package to fight Covid-19? The State has its own committed liabilities like salaries, pensions, debt repayment etc. which the State Government is under obligated to fulfill its commitments out of these funds,” Bir Devinder said.
“If Mrs. Harsimrat Kaur Badal Union Minister, has arranged some special funds (out of the box) for Punjab, other than the routine funds which every State gets, as its normal share, under the constitutional arrangement of the Federal Governance, then she must tell to the Public explicitly and also please release the copy of the special sanction letter, covering the purpose, amount and also the date on which the funds have been deposited in the State treasurer,” He said.
“Otherwise stop indulging in awkward gimmickry that really irks people in a given situation. It does not behove a Cabinet Minister of the Union Government to flirt with political optics, when the entire country is passing through a very difficult phase of trying times,” Bir Devinder concluded.