# Tewari warns Punjab debt may reach Rs 4.47 lakh crore 2026-08-06T22:55:20+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Congress MP Manish Tewari has warned that Punjab’s debt could reach Rs 4.47 lakh crore by the end of 2026-27, up from Rs 15,250 crore in 1996. He blamed populist spending by successive governments, rejecting the view that the debt is mainly linked to militancy. Tewari said debt servicing was about Rs 43,194 crore in 2025-26, while around Rs 28,755 crore in interest payments could consume 23% of revenue receipts. He also cited a debt-to-GSDP ratio of 46.6% as of March 31, 2025, second only to Arunachal Pradesh, and said just 5.6% remained for capital expenditure after obligations. ## Coverage - businesstoday.in Tags: fiscal policy, Manish Tewari, Punjab finances, state debt Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/tewari-warns-punjab-debt-may-reach-rs-4-47-lakh-crore/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/tewari-warns-punjab-debt-may-reach-rs-4-47-lakh-crore/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.