Chandigarh, February 2
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) State President Sunil Jakhar described the Union Budget as being inspired by the egalitarian philosophy of Sri Guru Ravidas Ji Maharaj and said that it is a concrete step and a strong foundation toward building a developed India. He stated that AAP and the Congress Party, lacking understanding of economics, have failed to grasp the true spirit of the Budget. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had stated yesterday that cities such as Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Moga, and Ferozepur would benefit from this Budget and that it would accelerate their development.
Addressing a press conference here today, Jakhar questioned Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, asking when he had met the Prime Minister regarding Punjab’s demands, while making factually incorrect claims that Punjab received nothing from the Budget. He further said that even before the Budget, during a meeting chaired by the Union Finance Minister, Punjab’s Finance Minister did not present any budget proposals or development demands but instead only requested an increase in the state’s borrowing limit.
The BJP President said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, this Budget of the Central Government will give new momentum to equality and development. He mentioned that during his visit to Dera Balan yesterday, the Prime Minister elaborated on the positive impact the Budget would have on Punjab. However, he alleged that Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, out of fear of Arvind Kejriwal, avoided meeting the Prime Minister and did not meet him even when he visited Punjab, thereby violating established conventions. He said it would have been better if the Chief Minister had met the Prime Minister and placed Punjab’s additional demands before him.
Speaking about the Budget proposals, he said that Punjab would receive funds for crop diversification or high-value crops only if the state government submits appropriate plans. He added that the Government of India has allocated a substantial budget for fisheries, animal husbandry, and fertilizer subsidies. The Centre is providing ₹1.70 lakh crore as fertilizer subsidy, of which Punjab receives a significant share due to its high fertilizer consumption. Similarly, a large portion of the budget allocated for government procurement of food grains reaches the pockets of Punjab’s farmers.
Jakhar further stated that under the Khelo India initiative, as sports are promoted across the country, the sports goods to be sold will largely be manufactured in Jalandhar, Punjab, and questioned whether this would not benefit the state. He also said that the agreement between the Government of India and the European Union would greatly benefit Punjab’s MSME, textile, and sports industries.
On rural development, he said that compared to earlier allocations, the Central Government will now send nearly double the funds directly into the accounts of panchayats, without any discrimination. He noted that Punjab’s youth currently face unemployment, whereas this Budget is aimed at generating new employment opportunities.
Jakhar added that textile parks have been announced in this Budget and questioned whether the Punjab government has made any efforts to establish such a park in the state. He also asked whether the proposal to build women’s hostels in every district for women’s empowerment and trauma centers in every district hospital would not benefit Punjab.
Jakhar said that even now, if Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann sets aside any political pressures and takes a strong project proposal to the Central Government, full support would be extended. He added that the current law and order situation in Punjab is discouraging investment.
Jakhar concluded by saying that Punjab needs strong leadership to steer the state out of mismanagement and restore it to its golden era, which it rightfully deserves. He asserted that such leadership lies with the BJP, which has a comprehensive roadmap for Punjab’s development.
