Chandigarh, February 1
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said the Union Budget has once again failed to meet the expectations of Punjab. He stated that the Budget offers no MSP guarantee for farmers, no employment assurance for the youth, and no relief for industry or taxation. The Centre has taken no concrete steps to strengthen Punjab’s economy, once again treating the state and its people unfairly.
Mann said Punjabis are hardworking and resilient, and despite repeated neglect by the Centre, AAP government and Punjab’s people will unite to rebuild Punjab and make it economically strong on their own.
Meanwhile, Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, reacting to Union Budget, said that the Centre has once again ignored the legitimate concerns of farmers from Punjab and Haryana, exposing its hollow claims of being farmer-friendly. Cheema pointed out that there has been no increase in the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, nor any concrete support for strengthening mandi infrastructure, leaving agrarian states to fend for themselves.
Cheema said Punjab’s farmer feed the nation, yet the Union Government continues to neglect investment in the very systems that ensure food security. The Finance Minister also criticized the selective approach adopted in promoting high-value crops. While the Budget mentions crops like coconut, cashew, sandalwood and nuts, there is nothing for North Indian farmers who depend on crops suited to their agro-climatic conditions.
Cheema asserted that this Budget clearly reflects the Centre’s bias and its continued indifference towards the farmers of food-grain producing states, particularly Punjab, who deserve respect, support and fair investment, not empty slogans.
