CHANDIGARH: Punjab government has refused to pay a bill of £635,000 issued by the Centre as payment for the paramilitary forces deployed during the Pathankot terror attack in January. In a letter, it states that the expenditure for each company is Rs 1,77,143 per day. It has also directed the Punjab government to bear the transportation charges. Eleven companies of the Central Reserve Police Force and nine companies of Border Security Force were deployed to support the airbase during the terror attack.
An irked state government replied to the bill saying that the deployment of “these units was in national interest and expenditure thereon should not be billed to the state government.” Punjab home ministry wrote, “These paramilitary forces, along with Punjab police, were used to carry out sustained search and combing operations in the area up to 10-12 km around the periphery of Tibri Army cantonment, laying of night ambushes and nakas in the vicinity. Because both Pathankot Air Force base and Tibri Cantonment area are vital defence establishments and CAPF was deployed for protecting these two vital installations in the national interest, it is requested that expenditure amounting to £635,000 may please be waived off.”
Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal said, “For 15 years of militancy in Punjab Army was here. The state government was billed for it and they even charged interest on it. If you call in the Army to handle a local issue, it is one thing. But if Pakistan attacks here and you ask us to pay for it, my entire budget goes awry.” The state currently strains under a debt of £125,000.
