Finance Minister Cheema Critiques Punjab's Exclusion from Union Budget

Synopsis

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema criticized the Union Budget 2025-26 on February 1, describing it as disappointing. He highlighted the state's request for a special industrial package for border districts to enhance employment and development, which was overlooked.

Key Takeaways

Punjab requested a special industrial package for five border districts.
Cheema criticized the budget for prioritizing Bihar's elections over national needs.
Key demands for police infrastructure funding were ignored.
MSP guarantee and crop diversification support were not addressed.
Concerns over Kisan Credit Card limits impacting farmers' debt.

Chandigarh, Feb 1 (NationPress) Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday lambasted the Union Budget 2025-26, labeling it as disappointing as the state government had sought a special industrial package for five border districts to boost employment and development.

He stated that the Budget prioritizes Bihar's elections, serving the BJP's political motives rather than fulfilling the nation's requirements.

During a media briefing, Cheema expressed his dissatisfaction that none of Punjab's requests made during the pre-budget meeting on December 20, 2024, in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, were acknowledged in the Budget.

He argued that the Budget neglected to mention any states outside the BJP's alliance, underscoring the Prime Minister's partiality towards certain regions.

Elaborating on Punjab's demands from the pre-budget meeting, the Finance Minister underscored that as a border state, Punjab has called for a special industrial package for its five border districts to foster employment and development. He also mentioned that the state requested Rs 1,000 crore to enhance police infrastructure along the 500-km volatile border with Pakistan.

Moreover, he expressed his disappointment that enduring requests for the Rajpura to Chandigarh railway line and Vande Bharat Rail services from Amritsar and Bathinda to Delhi remained unaddressed in the Budget.

When questioned by the media about the minimum support price (MSP) guarantee, he remarked that the BJP-led Union government, which holds animosity towards Punjab, failed to respond to the demand for a package promoting crop diversification, let alone the MSP guarantee.

"Punjab, contributing approximately 21 percent of rice and 51 percent of wheat to the central pool, requires assistance to shift from this crop cycle," remarked Cheema. He also pointed out that the state-Centre strategy to tackle stubble burning presented in the pre-budget meeting was ignored.

Additionally, he noted the absence of any mention of the release of funds from the Rural Development Fund and the National Health Mission, which are overdue from the Centre, nor was there any remedy provided for the annual loss of Rs 800 to Rs 1,200 crore to Punjab due to elevated interest rates on the Cash Credit Limit (CCL).

Cheema condemned the Union Budget for raising the Kisan Credit Card limit instead of addressing income enhancement, asserting that this would only exacerbate farmers' debts.