Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia has launched a sharp attack on the Bhagwant Mann government, alleging serious irregularities in Punjab’s proposed ₹15,000-crore borrowing and questioning the reported payment of ₹191 crore as a brokerage or commission for raising the loan.
In a strongly worded social-media post, Majithia alleged that the state government is being made to shoulder additional financial liabilities while a large commission would allegedly go to a Gujarat-based firm. He questioned the financial credibility of the arrangement and demanded that the government explain why the borrowing process involved a single tender.
Majithia claimed that the ₹191 crore fee amounts to roughly 1.27% of the ₹15,000-crore borrowing and argued that such a substantial financial charge requires complete transparency. He questioned whether Punjab obtained the most competitive financial terms and whether other firms were given a genuine opportunity to participate.
The SAD leader also specifically named senior bureaucrat KAP Sinha, alleging that the single tender was awarded during his tenure. Majithia called for a detailed investigation into decisions taken during Sinha’s tenure and made the sweeping allegation that such an inquiry could uncover a scam involving thousands of crores. These allegations have not been established as fact and would require independent investigation and documentary evidence.
Majithia further alleged that the borrowing was connected to meeting expenses ahead of the Assembly elections and accused what he described as “Delhi middlemen” of influencing the functioning of Punjab’s government offices. He alleged that a deal may have been worked out behind the scenes to facilitate the single-tender arrangement and demanded that the details be made public.
The central question raised by Majithia is not simply whether Punjab needs to borrow money, but why a ₹15,000-crore borrowing exercise would allegedly involve a ₹191-crore commission and a single-tender process. If the arrangement is entirely legitimate and financially advantageous to Punjab, the government should have little difficulty making the tender documents, eligibility criteria, competing bids, commission structure and final financial terms available for public scrutiny.
Punjab is already carrying a heavy debt burden, making every additional borrowing decision a matter of public interest. When hundreds of crores are potentially involved in fees and commissions, transparency cannot be treated as a procedural formality. The government must be able to demonstrate that the state received the best possible financial deal.
Majithia has therefore demanded answers from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Punjab government, arguing that the debt will ultimately be borne by the people of Punjab while any brokerage or commission will be paid immediately from the public exchequer.
The controversy now puts the spotlight on the tendering process, the identity and credentials of the selected firm, the exact nature of its role, the ₹191-crore fee, and the reasons for selecting a single tender. If the government can establish that the process was transparent, competitive and financially justified, it should publish the relevant documents and settle the allegations with facts rather than political counter-attacks.
For Punjab’s taxpayers, the issue is straightforward: ₹15,000 crore of new debt is a liability for the state, and ₹191 crore is public money. Every rupee paid as a fee must therefore be properly justified, competitively determined and fully accounted for.