Chandigarh, February 1 ; Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema has strongly criticized the Union Budget. It was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the fiscal year 2025-26. He termed it as a “disappointing budget” for the people of Punjab. Finance Minister Cheema said that the budget targets Bihar’s election. It caters to the BJP’s political interests. It does not address the needs of the nation.

Cheema Expresses Disappointment Over Punjab’s Unmet Budget Demands”

At a press conference at Punjab Bhawan, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema expressed his disappointment. Punjab made several demands at the pre-budget meeting in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on December 20, 2024. The budget did not meet any of these demands.. He pointed out that the budget failed to mention the names of states. These states do not belong to parties allied with BJP at the Centre. This highlights the Prime Minister’s bias towards specific states. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema detailed the demands put forward by Punjab in the pre-budget meeting. He emphasized that Punjab is a border state. The state has demanded a special industrial package for its five border districts to promote employment and development. He said the state has demanded Rs 1000 crore. This is for strengthening police infrastructure along the 500 km hostile border with Pakistan.Furthermore, he expressed disappointment as the budget ignored the long-standing demands for the Rajpura to Chandigarh railway line and, in addition, overlooked the introduction of Vande Bharat Rail services from Amritsar and Bathinda to Delhi.

Cheema Slams BJP for Ignoring MSP Guarantee and Punjab’s Crop Diversification Needs

Finance Minister Cheema addressed a media query regarding the Minimum Support Price (MSP) guarantee. He stated that the BJP led Union government harbors animosity towards Punjab. This government did not address the demand for a package to encourage crop diversification, let alone discuss the MSP Guarantee. “Punjab contributes about 21 percent of rice and 51 percent of wheat to the central pool. The state needs support to move away from this crop cycle,” said Cheema. He mentioned that the state-center formula to resolve the issue of stubble burning was presented in the pre-budget meeting but was ignored in the budget.

Union Budget for Ignoring Key Demands and Increasing Farmers’ Debt

Furthermore, there was no mention of the release of funds from the Rural Development Fund and National Health Mission, which are still pending with the center. In addition, no solution was provided for the annual loss of Rs. 800 to Rs. 1200 crores to Punjab due to high interest rates on the Cash Credit Limit (CCL). Consequently, Cheema criticized the Union Budget for increasing the limit of the Kisan Credit Card instead of focusing on boosting farmers’ income, which, he argued, would only worsen their debt. Moreover, Finance Minister Cheema highlighted the demand raised in the pre-budget meeting to increase the remuneration of mid-day meal workers from Rs. 600 per month for 10 months, which has remained stagnant for the last 15 years, to Rs. 2000 per month for 12 months. He also pointed out that the budget failed to address this request, as well as the demand to increase the salary of Anganwadi workers. In conclusion, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema emphasized that the budget has overlooked the pressing needs of Punjab’s people, farmers, industrialists, and traders, despite the state’s repeated appeals to the central government. He stressed that the Prime Minister’s claims of a heartfelt bond with Punjab are merely rhetoric, with the reality reflecting a deep-seated hostility toward the state.