With no new tax, Punjab FM presents  ₹1.96 lakh Cr budget

Chandigarh: Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema presented the state Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s first complete budget worth Rs 1,96,462 crore, here on Friday.

Highlighting chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government’s steps to eliminate `mafias’, Cheema claimed that over 10 lakh people had been treated at the Aam Aadmi clinics during the past about 10 months since AAP govt came to power and opening of the 117 schools of eminence. He also highlighted the government's free power scheme for upto 300 units under which, he claimed, almost 90% of the households of the state were getting zero bills.

Stating that education, health and agriculture were among the key areas for the year 2023-2024, he said the AAP government aimed to boost the income of farmers by promoting agriculture and allied activities, industrial promotion and infrastructure development besides strengthening the state finances. He rued Centre owed over Rs 9,000 crore to the state including the rural development fund of over Rs 2,800 crore for Punjab.

Stating that Rs 13,888 crore had been allocated for the agriculture sector and allied activities – 20% more than the previous fiscal, he proposed an outlay of over Rs 17,000 crore for school and higher education – 12% higher than the previous fiscal. Cheema said that initiative had been taken to regularise contractual teaching and non-teaching cadre while 117 schools of eminence were being upgraded for which Rs 200 crore had been earmarked. A budgetary outlay of Rs 990 crore had also been proposed for assisting state universities, he said.

On the health front, he proposed a budgetary provision of over Rs 4,700 crore – which was 11% higher than the previous financial year.

Rs 10,523 Cr FOR POLICING

Facing flak on the law and order front, the AAP government allocated Rs 10,523 crore to ensure law and order situation is improved in the state.

While announcing an outlay of Rs 40 crore to strengthen the counter intelligence wing and Rs 64 crore for modernising the police force, Cheema also announced Rs 30 crore initial allocation for cyber crime wing.

Meanwhile, ending their boycott, the Congress legislators attended the session in the presence of the chief minister. The budget session which began on March 3 would continue till March 11 after which the second part of the session would begin on March 22 after the two G20 meetings in Amritsar.

OPPN FLAYS BUDGET

Reacting on the budget, the Punjab Congress president Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that the AAP government was completely exposed by its own admission and revelations made in the budget. "Punjab is on the brink of bankruptcy and the state government has no vision to save it”, he said and reminded the government that it had promised to pay Rs 1000 every month to every woman in the state which it seemed it had completely forgotten.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) president Sukhbir Singh Badal said the AAP government had played another fraud with Punjabis by fudging figures to paint a rosy picture in budget 2023-24. He said the state debt had increased by Rs 42,181 crore and asked the CM to explain why his govt failed to collect Rs 20,000 crore from sand mining and Rs 35,000 crore by taking anti-corruption measures as promised.

The BJP state president Ashwani Sharma said the Punjab government had cheated farmers, labourers, women, traders, and all Punjabis in this budget, and that the AAP government had run away from its promises.