Bajwa criticises Punjab budget for ignoring key sectors and increasing debt

CHANDIGARH: Leader of Opposition (LoP) Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday dismissed the Rs 2.36 lakh crore budget for the financial year 2025-26 presented by the Aam Aadmi Party-led Punjab govt, calling it a "plethora of lies and deceitfulness."
"It is an extremely disappointing budget. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has ignored every section of society, including women, farmers, the service class, students, and the business community," Bajwa said.
The senior Congress leader accused the AAP govt of pushing Punjab deeper into debt over the past three years, making it the second-most debt-ridden state in the country. He claimed that in 2025-26 alone, the govt plans to borrow Rs 49,900 crore, taking the state’s outstanding debt to Rs 3.96 lakh crore by the end of the financial year. He pointed out that when AAP came to power in March 2022, Punjab’s debt stood at Rs 2.73 lakh crore. "Is this what FM Cheema is boasting about?" he questioned.
Bajwa criticised the allocation of Rs 14,524 crore for agriculture, calling it a "cruel joke" on farmers. He argued that the MSP procurement for non-paddy crops covers only 2% of farmers and that a genuine diversification plan for 10 lakh hectares would require Rs 28,000 crore annually—not the Rs 1,200 crore allocated.
He also slammed the Bhagwant Mann govt for failing to deliver on key pre-poll promises, noting that the much-touted Rs 1,100 monthly allowance for women has once again been left out of the budget.
Despite repeated claims, Bajwa said, the govt failed to make significant improvements in the education and health sectors, leaving weaker sections of society deprived of quality services. He also criticised the lack of support for industry, pointing out that the promised Rs 250 crore for industrial revival has not materialised.
Dismissing AAP’s claim that it reduced the revenue deficit to 2.5%, Bajwa accused the govt of doing so by delaying Rs 3,968 crore in SC scholarship payments and Rs 18,424 lakh in pension disbursements. "This is nothing but robbing vulnerable groups," he asserted.