Chandigarh, June 12 (IANS) The Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) said on Monday that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's unseemly confrontation policy and unconstitutional conduct with Governor Banwarilal Purohit and the Union government has caused losses of hundreds of crores to the state besides endangering the health sector.

In a statement issued here, senior SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said it is Punjab's misfortune that its Chief Minister is not working as per constitutional norms and is engaged in a public war of words with the Governor, instead of working to fulfil the needs of Punjabis.

He said the statement of the Governor that the Chief Minister did not care to reply to his 10 letters spoke volumes of the manner in which the state is being run under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

Asserting that Punjab is suffering due to the Chief Minister's unseemly conduct, Cheema said, "Even while the need of the hour is to generate more funds, the Chief Minister is unable to even get the state's dues released from the Central government."

Cheema said the Chief Minister has failed to forcefully take up the issue of release of Rural Development Fund (RDF) funds due to the state with the Centre.

Cheema said besides this, the state had let go of nearly Rs 800 crore due from the National Health Mission.

"The Chief Minister insisted on creating Aam Aadmi Clinics going against the norms of the Centre which resulted in the denial of funds to it from the NHM. Now when the health sector is on the brink of collapse, the AAP government has transferred doctors and staff posted in the Aam Aadmi clinics back to primary and rural dispensaries."

Asking the Chief Minister to run the state keeping in view the wishes of Punjabis as well as the promises made to them, the SAD leader said that it is unfortunate that the Chief Minister is depending on confrontation and cheap publicity accompanied with a Rs 750 crore advertising budget to run the state.

--IANS

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