Chandigarh March 28:
It was the last Budget session before the state goes to the Assembly poll in February next year.
The SAD-BJP government made the most of it, coming out with a Budget that focused on health and education besides populist schemes aimed at voters. The Congress frittered away an opportunity to take its case to the people by boycotting a debate on the Budget and the BJP came across as a party divided.
The session, which came to an end yesterday, was also all about politics. The government hammered in the development plank successively comparing development done vis-a-vis the Congress during its earlier rule in the state. Along with the focus on power projects and the Bathinda refinery, the SAD also took up an aggressive Panthic agenda.
To safeguard its Panthic vote bank, which has become very important following a revolt by former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, the SAD focused on attacking the Congress on the issue of the Operation Bluestar and later even bought in a resolution to condemn the Hondh Chhillar massacre. In direct contrast, the Congress adopted a bizarre attitude by deciding to boycott a debate on the Budget after PPCC President Amarinder Singh initiated the debate on its behalf. Amarinder claimed that the Budget was fudged and demanded a White Paper on the issue.
He, however, could not substantiate his claims adequately and opened himself as well as his party to accusation of running away from a debate. Observers feel that instead of getting bogged down in numbers which more then often were estimates that can differ later, the Congress could have focused on the economic model being followed in Punjab. The model focuses on massive borrowings to fund expenditure, which is bound to leave a huge debt in its wake.
Due to lack of any opposition, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal almost made it sound as if the model was best for the state. The SAD-BJP earned bouquets by increasing spending on health (Rs 720 crore) and infrastructure (Rs 986 crore). It also caused alarm to the Opposition by bringing in populist schemes, including bicycles for girl students and enlarging the base of the ‘shagun’ scheme.
In direct contrast, the BJP, besides a flash of brillance from Harish Rai Dhanda during the reply to the Governor’s Address, came across as a divided house with members looking on as Batala legislator Jagdish Sahni accused his party colleague and Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla of indulging in corruption on three separate occasions.
The Congress tried to redeem itself by participating in the discussion on grants relating to the Budget estimates and Congress Legislature Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal even admitted that the boycott of the debate on the Budget earlier was a mistake. The Congress should be satisfied by the performance put up by a few legislators, including Sukhpal Khaira, Sunil Jakhar and Lal Singh, who put the government on the defensive repeatedly on several issues.
It was the last Budget session before the state goes to the Assembly poll in February next year.
The SAD-BJP government made the most of it, coming out with a Budget that focused on health and education besides populist schemes aimed at voters. The Congress frittered away an opportunity to take its case to the people by boycotting a debate on the Budget and the BJP came across as a party divided.
The session, which came to an end yesterday, was also all about politics. The government hammered in the development plank successively comparing development done vis-a-vis the Congress during its earlier rule in the state. Along with the focus on power projects and the Bathinda refinery, the SAD also took up an aggressive Panthic agenda.
To safeguard its Panthic vote bank, which has become very important following a revolt by former Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, the SAD focused on attacking the Congress on the issue of the Operation Bluestar and later even bought in a resolution to condemn the Hondh Chhillar massacre. In direct contrast, the Congress adopted a bizarre attitude by deciding to boycott a debate on the Budget after PPCC President Amarinder Singh initiated the debate on its behalf. Amarinder claimed that the Budget was fudged and demanded a White Paper on the issue.
He, however, could not substantiate his claims adequately and opened himself as well as his party to accusation of running away from a debate. Observers feel that instead of getting bogged down in numbers which more then often were estimates that can differ later, the Congress could have focused on the economic model being followed in Punjab. The model focuses on massive borrowings to fund expenditure, which is bound to leave a huge debt in its wake.
Due to lack of any opposition, Deputy CM Sukhbir Singh Badal almost made it sound as if the model was best for the state. The SAD-BJP earned bouquets by increasing spending on health (Rs 720 crore) and infrastructure (Rs 986 crore). It also caused alarm to the Opposition by bringing in populist schemes, including bicycles for girl students and enlarging the base of the ‘shagun’ scheme.
In direct contrast, the BJP, besides a flash of brillance from Harish Rai Dhanda during the reply to the Governor’s Address, came across as a divided house with members looking on as Batala legislator Jagdish Sahni accused his party colleague and Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla of indulging in corruption on three separate occasions.
The Congress tried to redeem itself by participating in the discussion on grants relating to the Budget estimates and Congress Legislature Party leader Rajinder Kaur Bhattal even admitted that the boycott of the debate on the Budget earlier was a mistake. The Congress should be satisfied by the performance put up by a few legislators, including Sukhpal Khaira, Sunil Jakhar and Lal Singh, who put the government on the defensive repeatedly on several issues.