AAP, Oppn Leaders Trade Barbs

State was ranked last among the 18 major states, as per the report, it is also struggling to meet fiscal & revenue deficit targets, debt a concern

- HTC & PTI

CHANDIGARH: A day after the Niti Aayog released its Fiscal Health Index (FHI) 2025 report, in which Punjab was ranked last among the 18 major states, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government sparred over the state's performance.

The report ranked states in terms of their contribution to India's GDP, demography, total public expenditure, revenues, and overall fiscal stability.

According to the report, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, and Kerala were the worst-performing states, struggling to meet the fiscal and revenue deficit targets, have low revenue mobilization, and are witnessing a growing debt burden with debt sustainability remaining a major concern.

Mismanagement of previous regimes to be blamed: AAP AAP MP Malvinder Singh Kang claimed that Punjab's dismal ranking was a direct outcome of eight years of fiscal mismanagement under the previous SAD and Congress governments.