Tewari questions selling of Punjab power corporation land

Union minister Manish Tewari today claimed that the Punjab government was selling prime land owned by its power corporation in Ludhiana to raise money for day-to-day expenses.
Addressing a public meeting here, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister said the proposal for selling land was a part in the continuous series of desperate bids by the "fund-starved" state government to mobilise resources.
Raising questions over the government's claims that the space owned by Punjab State Power Corporation Limited would be used to build a commercial hub with shopping complexes, malls and multiplexes, the minister quipped, "As if there is dearth of such places in Ludhiana."

There were so many multiplexes and shopping complexes in the city, so what is the need of setting up one more, he said.
"Actually the government wants to sell the prime land to some private companies to raise money for its day-to-day expenses," Tewari said, adding that "otherwise it defies all logic as to why should there be more malls when the existing ones are going empty."
Claiming that the state government was no longer being trusted with loans by the banks, the minister said, "It is quite understandable when nobody trusts you with any money any more, you turn to your family silver and sell it off to raise whatever money you can without caring about the long-term consequences."

He claimed given the rate at which the government was selling its properties, the day would not be that far when the state would be left with no property at all.