Why No White Paper on Debt, Asks Hooda

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has accused the BJP government of deliberately avoiding the release of a white paper on the state's financial condition despite repeated demands from the opposition.

"If the white paper comes out, all fake figures and claims of the government will be exposed. The BJP has put the state in a debt of Rs 5.16 lakh crore," Hooda said during an Assembly session in Chandigarh. 

The Congress leader highlighted the stark contrast in debt accumulation between different administrations, stating, "From 1966 to 2013-14, the state had a debt of only Rs 60,000 crore, but today the internal debt has increased to Rs 3,52,819 crore (projected for 2025-26)." 

Congress Achievements vs. Current Debt

Hooda emphasized that despite providing substantial benefits during Congress rule, the state maintained manageable debt levels.  "The Congress government gave the highest rate of crops in the country to farmers, the cheapest electricity to farmers, loans at zero interest, the highest pension to the elderly, and MNREGA wages. Despite this, the debt figure was limited to Rs 60,000 crore," he claimed. 

Questioning Development Claims

The former CM alleged that the current government has failed to establish any significant projects in the past decade while accumulating massive debt. 

To challenge the government's claims about providing Minimum Support Price (MSP) for 24 crops, Hooda presented a receipt of mustard purchase in the Assembly, which he said proved that farmers were not receiving the promised MSP for mustard. 

"All the figures from economy and loan to crop purchase are exposing their claims, but the government is considering only verbal income and expenditure as development," Hooda stated. 

The Congress leader's demand for transparency through a white paper comes as the state faces increasing questions about its financial management and debt sustainability.