Punjab Govt paid Rs 44.85 lakh to pvt chopper company for Bhagwant Mann's visits to HP, Gujarat: RTI
Chandigarh, May 6: At a time when the Punjab Government is already reeling under an acute financial crisis, it recently paid Rs 44.85 lakh to a private chopper company
for Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's visit to Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh from April 1 to April 3 to campaign for the AAP.
The information has to light in an RTI filed by activist Harmilap Singh Grewal. After a resounding victory in the Punjab Assembly elections, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is trying to make its presence felt in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat, which will go to the polls in November this year.
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AAP arty national convener and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann campaigned in both states recently. So far, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress are in a direct contest in both Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.
At a time, when the Punjab Government is already reeling under financial crisis, the spending on Bhagwant Mann's chopper visits do raise several questions, especially when the latter had recently sought financial assistance from the Centre.
On March 24, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sought Rs 50,000 crore per year for two years from Centre as financial aid claiming the financial health of the state is very poor. Mann informed PM Narendra Modi about the financial condition of the state and told him that there are debt worth Rs 3 lakh crores. Further, he demanded a special package for Punjab worth Rs 50,000 crores for two years to improve the state’s financial condition.
One of the major poll promises of the AAP was freebies to Punjab people. AAP chief and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal had promised round-the-clock free electricity supply to everyone in Punjab. He had also promised Rs 1,000 monthly financial aid to all women above age of 18 years in Punjab. He had also promised to renovate all schools and hospitals in Punjab and establishment of ‘Pind Clinics’ along the lines of Mohalla Clinics where everyone will be treated free of cost.
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However, soon after these announcements, Bhagwant Mann claimed that Punjab "is under tremendous debt and sought the Centre’s help".
-PTC News
