Punjab in economic morass, debt trap: White Paper

The document presented by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema blamed previous governments for the fiscal mess.

Punjab is in an economic morass and debt trap, said the White Paper on State finances presented in the State Assembly, in Chandigarh on June 25. The document presented by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema blamed previous governments for the fiscal mess.

According to the document tabled two days ahead of the presentation of the State Budget in the House, "Today, Punjab is in an economic morass and debt trap." "The previous governments, instead of applying necessary correctives, continued to slip into fiscal profligacy, as evident from unchecked increase in unproductive revenue expenditure, freebies and unmerited subsidies, virtual collapse in the capital and social sector investments vital for future growth and non-realisation of its potential tax and non-tax revenues," it said.

"The White Paper on the State finances is an attempt to simplify the complex issues/problems being faced by the Punjab government in the field of finance, which has become grave over time due to imprudence of governments of the past," said the 73-page document. It said the current effective outstanding debt of Punjab stands at ₹2.63 lakh crore, which is 45.88% of the SGDP.

"The current debt indicators of the State are probably the worst in the country, pushing it deeper into a debt trap," it said. The previous government professed of bringing fiscal prudency in management of State finances while discreetly choosing not to discharge the pending liabilities of the State government, it said.

Sadly, they have also followed their predecessors and while demitting office, handed over immediate and medium-term staggering liability of ₹24,351.29 crore that the new government has to discharge over the coming years, said the document.

In the last five years, the debt of the State has grown by 44.23% translating into a compounded growth rate of 7.60% per annum.