Something to cheer about finally for Punjab

The first full Budget proposals of the Modi government have brought some cheer for Punjab. The announcement of three major projects for the state by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley has managed to somewhat dispel the notion that the BJP-led government is biased against Punjab. Jaitley has announced two major projects for Amritsar, from where he contested but lost the 2014 parliamentary election: a Post Graduate Institute for Horticulture Research and Education (PGIHRE) and development of Jallianwala Bagh under the Development of Cultural World Heritage Sites programme. The state has got a third project — an All India Institute of Medical Sciences. 

The demand for both the horticulture institute and AIIMS had been put forth by Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal. Punjab had been asking for the two institutes to be set up in the state for the past year. 

AIIMS for state: A special committee headed by the Chief Minister has already identified three sites for setting up AIIMS. Each covers an area of 200 acres and the sites are located in Kapurthala. Official sources say that though they had been pursuing the state’s case for setting up the institute, the Union Ministry of Health has to finally approve the site. Now, with the announcement for AIIMS being made, the site will be finalised shortly.

Jallianwala Bagh restoration: For development of the historic Jallianwala Bagh, Punjab will get additional resources for landscape restoration; signage and interpretation centres; parking; access for the differently-abled; visitors’ amenities, including securities and toilets; illumination and plans for benefiting communities around them.

Horticulture research: Horticulture crops are grown on 2.77 lakh hectares in the state, with an annual production of almost 52 lakh tonnes. But because of poor Integrated Pest Management and poor linkage between farmers and research institutes, the true potential has not been exploited. After the PGIHRE for Haryana was announced last year, Punjab too had been rooting for it. Industry bemused: While the state has got a big infrastructure push, the industry in the state is not too enthused with the budget proposals. The industry was expecting cuts in central excise duty and imposition of anti-dumping duty, which do not form part of the proposals. — Ruchika M Khanna

The budget is in furtherance of the NDA agenda to make Punjab a leading state by ending a long spell of discrimination. The three major projects announced for the state are a testimony of their commitment for Punjab. The budget is also farmer-friendly and will give a fillip to the state’s agrarian economy.. 

Parkash Singh Badal, Chief minister, Punjab