Politics takes centrestage as Punjab Assembly okays Rs 2.6L-cr Budget

The debate on the Budget proposals for 2026-27, presented by Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Cheema on March 8, was all political rather than being a discussion on fiscal health of the state.

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who concluded the discussion on the Budget, took potshots at the Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal, calling the Congress a “bina larhe di barat” and the SAD of going down into political oblivion just the way dinosaurs had become extinct. “They may put out videos of ‘Veer Sukhbir’ sitting on dinosaurs, but the chained dinosaurs will drag him and his party to extinction,” he said.

Without naming Bikram Singh Majithia, CM Mann said the other Akali leader, who twirls his moustaches and has just come out of the Nabha jail, promoted drugs in the state. He also spoke about the links of his ancestors with General Dyer, who had ordered the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in 1919.

“The Congress wants to get into the next election without declaring a CM face, because everyone wants to become the CM in their party. It’s like a wedding procession without a groom,” he said.

Mann said his opponents had been writing his epitaphs for many years now. “Even now they say that AAP will lose the 2027 Assembly poll. We will win in 2027 and then again in 2032 and 2037. This will happen because AAP has delivered on all promises. We brought the free health insurance, financial assistance for women, free Teerath Yatra scheme, providing free nutritious food items, setting up medical colleges and we are now celebrating Guru Ravidas’ 650th anniversary with great pomp and show,” he said.

The treasury bench MLAs patted their own back for granting financial assistance to women under the “Mukh Mantri Mawan Dhiyan Satkar” yojana. They declared that they were “battle ready for the 2027 Assembly election after fulfilling all five guarantees made to the people of Punjab in just four years”.

Rupees 2,60, 437 crore Budget was unanimously passed in the Vidhan Sabha this evening after a four-hour debate, which was skipped by the Congress and BJP MLAs.

Only three Opposition MLAs remained seated in the House throughout the debate — rebel SAD MLA Manpreet Singh Ayali, BSP MLA Nachattar Pal and Independent MLA Rana Inder Pratap Singh, as ruling party MLAs lauded themselves for bringing a Budget that brought gender and social equality.

Earlier, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said under AAP tenure, the revenue receipts had doubled and the government was borrowing much less each year, compared to the borrowings made during the Congress regime. “In four years, all guarantees made to people have been fulfilled. The budgetary allocation for police has been increased to help improve internal security and dues of all cane growers have been released,” he said.

AAP president and Renewable Energy Minister Aman Arora said while the Opposition targeted the government for raising public debt by over Rs 1 lakh crore, they conveniently forget that this loan was taken to repay the interest on the loans taken by the previous governments.

MLA Rana Inder Pratap Singh suggested that the government bring an OTS scheme for recovering Rs 3,000 crore NPAs from farmers, advanced by the cooperative banks. MLA Ayali said financial assistance to women should have been announced in the first Budget of the government.

Resolution moved against Centre’s ‘failed’ foreign policy

A resolution criticising the Centre’s “failed” foreign policy was moved in the Vidhan Sabha on Wednesday, expressing deep concern over the emerging energy crisis due to the West Asia conflict. The resolution, moved by Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, will be discussed in detail on Thursday.

Social media norms for kids

Punjab Good Governance and Information Technology (GG&IT) Minister Aman Arora said the state government will ask the the Centre to frame rules regarding social media usage by minors, besides, evaluating global best practices to safeguard children’s interests.