The BJP on Saturday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government over Punjab’s finances, alleging that the state is heading towards a “full-blown fiscal and administrative crisis” under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Citing rising debt, delayed welfare payments and growing employee unrest, the party claimed Punjab’s economy was slipping into a dangerous cycle of borrowing to repay older loans.In a statement, BJP spokesperson RP Singh said Punjab’s debt burden, which stood at nearly Rs 2.7 lakh crore when the AAP government assumed office in 2022, was projected to touch nearly Rs 4.5 lakh crore by 2027 if current trends continued. He alleged that instead of stabilising the state’s finances, the government had pushed Punjab deeper into a debt trap.According to the BJP leader, the situation had now moved beyond “an accounting issue” and reflected signs of severe financial stress. He pointed to continuous borrowing, shrinking development expenditure, mounting interest liabilities and delays in salaries, pensions and welfare payments as indicators of administrative strain.He further claimed that Punjab could spend more than Rs 42,000 crore on debt servicing during 2026-27, including nearly Rs 29,000 crore towards interest payments alone.He alleged that even new borrowings were largely being used to service older debt rather than create fresh assets or fund development projects.Singh also highlighted growing resentment among several sections of society.He alleged that teachers in aided colleges were facing difficulties due to delayed grants, while historic institutions such as Hindu College, Amritsar, and Panjab University were reportedly under financial stress because of funding disputes and delayed assistance.Government employees, pensioners, MGNREGA workers and ASHA workers were also cited as groups facing dissatisfaction.Singh alleged that employees continued protesting over pending dearness allowance arrears, pensioners were awaiting dues, and beneficiaries under welfare schemes such as the Shagun Scheme were facing delays in receiving assistance.Calling the situation a reflection of “deep liquidity stress and administrative paralysis”, Singh accused the AAP government of prioritising publicity over governance.He said Punjab, once known for its prosperity, agriculture, enterprise and educational institutions, was now witnessing uncertainty across multiple sectors.The BJP leader further questioned the state government over what he described as “record debt burden, rising interest liabilities, delayed salaries and pensions, institutional funding crises and slowing development expenditure.”He asked why welfare schemes were stalled, grants delayed and employees repeatedly forced to protest for payments.