The move by the Greater Mohali Area Development Authority (GMADA) to pay Rs 191 crore to a merchant banker to raise a loan of Rs 15,000 crore has stirred a political row with opposition parties questioning the government.Leader of the Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, stepping up his criticism of the Bhagwant Mann-led government, said an estimated annual interest burden of Rs 1,200 crore could saddle taxpayers with a Rs 24,000 crore liability over two decades, exclusive of the principal.“If the government can arrange a Rs 15,000 crore loan, why should a private company be paid nearly Rs 191 crore merely for facilitating it?” Bajwa questioned, alleging that the state’s financial interests are being compromised and questioned the transparency of the tendering process overseen by Chief Secretary KAP Sinha.Bajwa demanded that the Mann Government publicly disclose the loan terms, interest rate, repayment schedule, security or guarantees involved, the proposed Rs 191 crore intermediary fee, the process through which the intermediary was selected and the detailed utilisation plan for the Rs 15,000 crore.SAD leader Bikram Singh Majithia alleged that middlemen from Delhi were looting the state. “The financial credibility of this decision is seriously questionable. The money will be raised through commissions to fund the expenses of the Assembly poll.