Punjab Finance Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema, while discussing the "Badlda Punjab" budget for 2025-26 in the Vidhan Sabha, expressed gratitude to both ruling and opposition members for their participation in the discussions. He provided insights into key issues raised and highlighted Punjab’s transformation under the Aam Aadmi Party’s leadership.
Emphasizing the party’s commitment to change, Cheema reiterated that AAP came to power with five guarantees and has successfully fulfilled four. He assured that the fifth guarantee—providing ₹1,000 to women—will be implemented soon, with data collection underway by the Finance and Welfare Departments.
Discussing GST revenue, he contrasted the current administration’s performance with previous governments. He noted that when GST was introduced in 2017, the Congress-led government collected only ₹21,286 crore without any efforts to increase it. In contrast, under CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s leadership, GST revenue has reached ₹64,253 crore in three years. He criticized the former Congress Finance Minister, now with BJP, for relying on poetic expressions instead of financial action. He also challenged former Congress Ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Aruna Chaudhary on whether they truly understood their budgets during their tenure.
Cheema attributed Punjab’s financial challenges to the Congress-led government’s reliance on GST compensation, which was counted as a loan by the Government of India. He revealed that Punjab still carries a ₹20,000 crore debt entry from GST compensation and argued that proactive revenue measures could have prevented the need for loans today. Rejecting opposition allegations of "tax terrorism," he pointed out that previous governments failed to set up tax intelligence units or introduce reward schemes like Bill Liyao, Inaam Pao, leading to revenue losses.
Comparing excise revenue collections, he highlighted that under the Akali-BJP government (2012-17), revenue stood at ₹20,545 crore, while the Congress government (2017-22) collected ₹27,395 crore. In just three years, the AAP-led government has already collected ₹28,000 crore and aims to generate an additional ₹25,000 crore in the next two years. He criticized past governments for failing to eliminate mafias, which hindered revenue growth. He also noted that AAP’s crackdown on the land mafia has resulted in higher stamp and registration revenue, reaching ₹14,786 crore in three years—higher than both Akali-BJP’s ₹12,387 crore and Congress’s ₹12,459 crore over five years.
The Finance Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to marginalized communities, announcing a ₹13,987 crore allocation under the Scheduled Caste Sub-Plan (SCSP) for 2025-26, representing 34% of the total development budget. He also introduced a loan waiver scheme for individuals who defaulted on Punjab Scheduled Castes Land Development and Finance Corporation (PSCFC) loans before March 31, 2020, benefiting 4,650 people.
Outlining Punjab’s financial strategies, Cheema announced an ₹8,000 crore investment in the sinking fund to manage short-term loans. He detailed budget allocations, including ₹592 crore for medical colleges, ₹5,598 crore for health and family welfare, ₹17,975 crore for education, and ₹979 crore for sports. Under the war on drugs initiative, funds have been set aside for anti-drone technology (₹110 crore), drug tests (₹150 crore), emergency response vehicles (₹125 crore), and a new headquarters (₹53 crore). Additionally, 5,000 home guards will be deployed as a second line of defense.
For industrial growth, Cheema highlighted an increased allocation of ₹250 crore for financial incentives, the highest in Punjab’s history. He criticized the Congress government for spending only ₹53 crore on industry incentives in five years, while the Akali-BJP government had allocated nothing. In comparison, the AAP-led government has set aside ₹3,426 crore for industries and commerce.
On capital expenditure, he showcased Punjab’s progress under the current administration. The Akali-BJP government spent ₹14,641 crore, while the Congress spent ₹19,356 crore. In three years, the AAP government has already spent ₹19,810 crore, demonstrating its investment in infrastructure, schools, and hospitals.
He also touched on various initiatives, including solar subsidies, service centers, and employee concerns. Concluding his speech, Cheema emphasized that the "Badlda Punjab" budget reflects CM Bhagwant Singh Mann’s vision to transform Punjab and enhance the well-being of its citizens.
