Punjab opens the purse-strings

Punjab's Congress government led by Capt. Amarinder Singh will be seeking a second mandate in February next year, and his finance minister Manpreet Singh Badal has opened the purse strings to get on the right side of the electorate. The problem is the expansionary budget could push the state further into a debt trap, especially when the economy and businesses are yet to recover from the shock of the pandemic and the resultant slowdown.