“4 of 5 Punjab Promises Fulfilled by Mann Government: Harpal Singh Cheema”
MANN GOVERNMENT FULFILLED 4 OUT OF 5 GUARANTEES PROMISED TO PEOPLE OF PUNJAB WITHIN 2 YEARS: HARPAL SINGH CHEEMA
RESPONDS TO VARIOUS ISSUES RAISED BY MEMBERS OF PUNJAB VIDHAN SABHA DURING DEBATE ON PUNJAB BUDGET
Chandigarh, March 6
During a debate on the Punjab Budget 2024-25, Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema stated that the Bhagwant Singh Mann-led Punjab government has fulfilled 4 out of 5 guarantees made to the people of Punjab. These include improvements in health infrastructure with 829 Aam Aadmi clinics, enhanced education infrastructure with Schools of Eminence, free power to 90 percent domestic consumers with 300 units, and a Rs 1 crore grant for families of martyred soldiers.
He assured that they would soon fulfill the remaining guarantee as well. The Finance Minister noted that many Congress MLAs are unaware of the state’s fulfillment of guarantees for common people. He pointed out that most of these MLAs belong to the elite and do not use Aam Aadmi clinics or send their children to government schools, with power bills exceeding 300 units. This could explain why the Leader of the Opposition only mentioned one guarantee, ignoring others fulfilled by the Punjab Government.
Addressing opposition claims, he stated that the budget prioritized wages and salaries, with meticulous preparation by the finance department. Yet, some opposition members overlooked crucial aspects due to careless scrutiny.
“Some members of the opposition questioned which departments had received the jobs.” In response, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann sent the list through the Speaker of the Vidhan Sabha. Discussions on education revealed an 11.5 percent budget increase, contrary to claims of a decrease. Agriculture budget revisions from Rs 13,236 crore to Rs 13,784 crore for the next fiscal year were also discussed.
Furthermore, there were inquiries regarding government organizations availing loans, to which he clarified that none have done so currently. During the Congress government, the government obtained loans totaling Rs 9,530 crore, including Rs 5,450 crore through the Rural Development Board and Rs 4,090 crore through the Mandi Board, while farmers received only Rs 4,400 crore as a loan waiver.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab government has paid the pending liabilities of Rs.6,279 crore of the previous Congress government, he further added. He stated that the government is releasing pending Power Subsidy Arrears totaling Rs. 9000 crore as per the prepared liquidation plan, and an additional Rs. 2468 crore is being released to PSPCL. Furthermore, he mentioned that the government has implemented the UGC Scales and Judicial Pay Commission, which were due from 1.1.2016.
In response to a query from a BJP member, the Finance Minister highlighted that the Union Government has not released Rs. 8,000 crore earmarked for the National Health Mission (NHM), Rural Development Fund (RDF), Mandi Development Fund (MDF), and Special Assistance to State for Capital Investment. He emphasized that the state’s citizens contribute equally to the union treasury, asserting the state’s rightful claim to these funds. Additionally, he noted that the state contributes 40 percent to various center-state sponsored schemes. Regarding teacher regularization, he mentioned that teachers previously earned meager salaries under a similar scheme during the SAD-BJP rule before being regularized at Rs. 25,000 per month.
Furthermore, he highlighted the state’s own tax revenue growth of 13 percent during FY 2022-23 and 14 percent during FY 2023-24, contrasting with the 6 to 8 percent growth seen under previous administrations. He also noted an increase in revenue from Excise, which was Rs. 6,151 crore when Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann’s government took office in March 2022, with a current target of Rs. 10,350 crore.
He said that this was possible only due to transparent Excise policy and strict enforcement. Quoting figures of previous governments, the Finance Minister said that the capital expenditure also witnessed substantial increase during current regime.
The Finance Minister categorically mentioned the grants provided to Punjabi University, Punjab Agriculture University, and Panjab University. He stated that the revised budget estimates for FY 2023-24 allocated Rs. 360 crore, Rs. 101 crore, and Rs. 475 crore to Punjabi University, Patiala, Panjab University, Chandigarh, and PAU Ludhiana, respectively. Additionally, Rs. 375 crore, Rs. 140 crore, and Rs. 471 crore were allocated in the budget estimates for 2024-25. He also noted the implementation of UGC scales in PAU, effective from April 1, 2023, with payments released from May 2023.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema concluded by stating that he formulated this budget with a focus on addressing the needs of common people, the agriculture sector, education, the health sector, employment, and the expectations of the state’s youth.
