Amarinder Singh to start innings with austerity

Chandigarh, March 14 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister-designate Amarinder Singh has opted for a low-key swearing-in ceremony at the Punjab Raj Bhawan on Thursday here, keeping in mind the financial health of the state.

"Captain Amarinder has made it clear that in the light of the state's fiscal situation, he did not want any unnecessary or wasteful expenditure to be incurred on the swearing-in ceremony," his spokesman said here on Tuesday.

Amarinder will be sworn-in as Chief Minister by Punjab Governor V.P. Singh Badnore here on March 16.

At least nine ministers are expected to be sworn-in with him.

The Congress swept the Punjab assembly elections in the results declared on Saturday, winning 77 out of 117 seats. The Congress returned to power after a decade.

The low-key swearing-in opted for by Amarinder, who comes from the royal family of Patiala, is in sharp contrast to the crores of rupees spent by his predecessor Parkash Singh Badal for his own swearing-in gala public events in 2007 and 2012.

"My government is committed to getting the state out of the financial doldrums, into which it had been plunged by the previous dispensation. Each small step will count towards ensuring that every possible rupee is saved at this critical juncture," Amarinder said in a statement.

The Punjab government is believed to be under a massive debt of over Rs 200,000 crore, as per the claims of the Congress leaders during the election campaigning.

As per Amarinder's diktat to Congress legislators and leaders, "there will be nothing ostentatious about the oath-taking programme at the Raj Bhavan".

Amarinder has requested all the newly-elected MLAs to also keep their personal invitations to the bare minimum to keep the ceremony simple.

"He further urged them to ensure that their supporters also show similar restraint, and not clog the roads of Chandigarh and cause hardship to the people of the city," the spokesman said.