Union Budget ' completely disappointed' Punjab State FM Cheema

     Chandigarh, Jul 23 (PTI) Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday said the Union Budget, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, "completely disappointed" the state and he slammed the BJP-led Centre for not considering any of its demands including a package for crop diversification.
     Cheema further accused the Union government of meting out step-motherly treatment to the border state.
     Sitharaman presented the Budget for 2024-25, her seventh straight presentation, surpassing the record of former prime minister Morarji Desai. This was the first budget of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's third term in office.
     Reacting to the Union Budget, Cheema said, "The Centre meted out step-motherly treatment to the people of Punjab and farmers. The BJP-led government deceived the people of Punjab."
     The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader claimed that the Centre reduced the subsidy on fertilisers by 36 per cent.
     "The government has been claiming to double the income of farmers. But instead of doubling the income, it has rather raised the input cost of farmers," said Cheema.
     He claimed that the Centre did not give anything to Punjab for roads, health and education in the Union Budget.
     "This Budget has completely disappointed Punjab," he stated.
     Referring to his pre-Budget meetings with Sitharaman, Cheema said he had submitted that Punjab needed an economic package for crop diversification so that the farmers could be encouraged to grow alternate crops and also save the depleting underground water table.
     "But the Centre ignored it," he said.
     He further said the state also needed a package for boosting industrialisation on the lines of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.
     "The Centre always seeks to know the priorities of the states during pre-Budget meetings. But the Centre has disappointed Punjab," he said.
     "The BJP always discriminates against Punjab and takes anti-Punjab decisions. Today's Budget is anti-Punjab and anti-farmer," he alleged.
     Cheema lashed out at the Centre for not giving any incentive for the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME).
     Later in a statement, Cheema held the Union government accountable for perpetuating "financial disparities and regional imbalances".
     He said Punjab, already vulnerable to regional disparities due to the preferential treatment of neighboring hill states, has once again been subjected to discriminatory treatment by the Union government.
     "Unlike states like Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, which received additional financial packages, Punjab was denied any special financial assistance," said Cheema, and cautioned that this inequality could worsen regional imbalances and impede Punjab's development trajectory.
     Cheema condemned the Centre for "deliberately ignoring" Punjab's development needs, particularly in the tourism sector, where no projects have been allocated.
     He also noted that the Budget favours the eastern region, neglecting the northwestern border states, including Punjab.
     "Moreover, the Union government has failed to provide Punjab with any targeted support or extra funding for its SMEs, which are essential drivers of local employment and economic growth," he added.
     Cheema emphasised that the lack of dedicated funds would severely impede the state's progress in critical areas, including agricultural development, industrial growth and infrastructure expansion, while also compromising the rapid growth of health and education sectors in the state.
     Meanwhile, Punjab cabinet minister Aman Arora said the Budget has revealed the "vindictive face" of the BJP, which failed to win a single seat in the state during the recently held parliamentary polls.
     "The Budget once again proved that the Modi government's primary focus is on targeting the opposition-ruled governments rather than addressing real issues," he alleged.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)