Shillong, July 25: Bikram Singh Majithia, a former Punjab minister and leader of the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), urged the Chief Justice of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to intervene and take suo-moto action against the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.
Majithia expressed concern over the government’s allocation of Rs 750 crore annually for advertisements while neglecting infrastructure projects and providing aid to flood victims.
Echoing the stance of the Supreme Court, Majithia pointed out that the Delhi government had spent Rs 1,100 crore on advertisements, which raised questions about its willingness to contribute to essential infrastructure development. The apex court had directed the Delhi government to submit an affidavit regarding its advertisement expenses after it failed to allocate funds for infrastructure projects.
IANS reported that Majithia highlighted that the Punjab government was adopting a similar approach to Delhi, prioritizing lavish advertising budgets over the state’s development. Despite the pressing need for funds to address flood-related damages, only a meager amount of Rs 33 crore was allocated to deputy commissioners for relief efforts.
The SAD leader also urged the Chief Justice to address the state government’s extravagant expenses, particularly related to hiring aircraft to transport AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal around the country. Majithia expressed concern that while Punjab faced challenges, the government wasted money on failed projects like AAP clinics, which had negatively impacted the healthcare sector.
Bikram Singh Majithia sought the Chief Justice’s intervention to curtail the AAP government’s advertisement expenditures and encourage a more responsible allocation of funds towards crucial infrastructure projects and development initiatives in Punjab.