Chandigarh- Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday referred to as out the BJP-led Centre for utterly ignoring Punjab’s wants and sacrifices in Union Finances 2026, stating that there isn’t a point out of Punjab anyplace within the funds and no reference to the long-pending Rural Growth Fund (RDF) of ₹8,500 crore that’s legitimately as a result of state.
Declaring the funds anti-farmer, anti-education and anti-health, the Punjab Finance Minister mentioned Punjab has as soon as once more been pushed to handle by itself regardless of bearing the burden of nationwide meals safety, going through the affect of repeated pure calamities and responsibly dealing with RDF-related obligations, whereas receiving no aid for frequent individuals and no significant help from the Centre for the twelfth consecutive 12 months.
Addressing a press convention at Punjab Bhawan, Cheema mentioned the funds represents a deliberate try to derail the expansion of Punjab, a state that has made unparalleled sacrifices for the nation. “The mindset of the BJP in energy on the Centre has turn into a giant menace to the nation’s democracy and particularly Punjab. The Union Finances 2026 is anti-education, anti-health and inimical to the farmers, the poor, merchants and even the safety of Punjab. By means of this funds, a nasty try has been made to derail the expansion of Punjab, which has made nice sacrifices for the nation,” he mentioned.
The Finance Minister mentioned that Punjab has been utterly sidelined for the twelfth consecutive 12 months within the funds introduced by the BJP-led Central Authorities. “The memorandum submitted by Punjab to the Union Finance Minister has been blatantly ignored. Punjab has all the time stood agency within the defence of the nation and has not decreased its contribution to the Central meals pool. In truth, our contribution has elevated yearly. As a result of Punjab has constantly replenished the nation’s meals reserves, 117 blocks of the state’s groundwater have gone into the darkish zone,” he mentioned.
Taking sturdy objection to the strategy of the sixteenth Finance Fee, the Punjab Finance Minister mentioned the Centre has turned a blind eye in the direction of the states. “The poor monetary situation of states has been utterly ignored. The vertical devolution, which is the whole share of all states within the tax pool, has been stored unchanged at 41 p.c. There is no such thing as a enhance in any respect regardless of the fiscal stress confronted by states. The sixteenth Finance Fee has not beneficial any Income Deficit Grants, whereas the fifteenth Finance Fee had completed so. Circumstances imposed on the State Catastrophe Response Fund (SDRF) are overly restrictive and can severely have an effect on states like Punjab in successfully mitigating and managing disasters,” he mentioned.
Cheema mentioned the Union Authorities has as soon as once more ignored the professional considerations of Punjab’s farmers, exposing its hole claims of being pro-farmer. “There’s neither any enhance within the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund nor any concrete help to strengthen mandi infrastructure. There’s completely nothing for farmers of Punjab when it comes to elevated allocation to the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund or for strengthening mandi infrastructure in Union Finances 2026. States will now be compelled to do all this from their very own funds. The funds talks about high-value crops however has utterly not noted Punjab,” he mentioned.
The Punjab Finance Minister identified that farmers of Punjab feed the nation, but the Union Authorities continues to neglect funding in methods that guarantee meals safety. “The selective strategy in the direction of high-value crops is deeply discriminatory. The funds mentions crops like coconut, cashew, sandalwood and dry fruits, however there’s nothing for farmers in North India who rely upon crops suited to their agro-climatic situations. This funds clearly displays the Centre’s bias and its continued indifference in the direction of farmers of meals grain producing states, particularly Punjab. These farmers deserve respect, help and acceptable funding, not empty slogans,” he mentioned.
Criticising the discount in subsidies and the absence of aid for frequent residents, Cheema mentioned, “Urea subsidy has been decreased from ₹1,26,475 crore final 12 months to ₹1,16,805 crore this 12 months. There’s nothing for the frequent individuals on this funds. There’s zero tax aid at a time when incomes are stagnant and inflation is consuming into the financial savings of frequent individuals. As an alternative, the Authorities of India has elevated the Securities Transaction Tax, which is able to adversely affect the frequent man. There’s additionally no aid on Lengthy-Time period Capital Positive aspects. It’s like squeezing the frequent man from all sides.”
On defence, the Punjab Finance Minister mentioned expectations have been utterly belied. “Given final 12 months’s tensions with Pakistan, we had been anticipating main bulletins to strengthen defence manufacturing and a significant enhance within the defence funds. Nothing of that kind has occurred. Defence finds point out solely 4 instances within the Union Finance Minister’s speech,” he mentioned.
Referring to the PM-Vishwakarma Scheme, he mentioned, “This scheme was launched final 12 months with a lot fanfare to supply holistic, end-to-end help to conventional artisans and craftspeople. As an alternative of strengthening it, the funds allocation has been decreased from ₹5,100 crore to ₹3,861 crore. On one hand, the federal government claims it is a Yuva-Shakti Finances geared toward growing legacy industries, and alternatively, it cuts the funds for a scheme meant precisely for that objective.”
On schooling, Cheema termed the funds “deeply uninspiring”. “There’s lower than 10 p.c progress, round 8 p.c, within the schooling funds in comparison with final 12 months. The allocation for the PM-SHRI scheme stays unchanged at ₹7,500 crore. There is no such thing as a point out in any respect of Particular Help to States for Capital Creation. All states had requested extension and enhancement of this scheme to maintain excessive ranges of capital expenditure, however the Centre has ignored this demand,” he mentioned.
On the well being entrance, he mentioned, “The Ayushman Bharat scheme funds stays unchanged at ₹9,500 crore. The Swachh Bharat Mission funds has been halved to ₹2,500 crore from ₹5,000 crore final 12 months. Allocation beneath VB-G-RAM-G has been elevated to ₹95,692 crore from ₹88,000 crore beneath MGNREGA, however on the similar time, the Border Infrastructure and Administration Scheme funds has been decreased from ₹5,597 crore final 12 months to ₹5,577 crore within the present funds,” he added.
Summing up, the Punjab Finance Minister mentioned the Union Finances 2026 displays the Centre’s apathy in the direction of Punjab and its individuals. “This funds ignores Punjab’s contribution, overlooks its challenges and undermines its future. It neither strengthens the nation’s safety nor helps farmers, staff, youth or states. Punjab and its individuals deserve much better than this,” mentioned Harpal Cheema.
