Punjab BJP, SAD call Punjab budget a ‘betrayal and pack of lies’

Chandigarh: Opposition parties on Sunday attacked the Punjab budget, with the Punjab BJP calling it a "major betrayal" of women and the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) terming it "nothing but a pack of lies.""If the Bhagwant Mann govt was truly sensitive towards women, it should have provided a lump sum of Rs 48,000 for the past four years, calculated at Rs 1,000 per month," Punjab BJP working president Ashwani Sharma said in a written statement.He added, "The govt has not even allocated the full required budget for it, earmarking only Rs 9,300 crore against the estimated requirement of about Rs 15,000 crore."Sharma further said, "Farmers have also been deceived because, despite electoral promises, MSP is not provided for all 24 crops and MSP is not made a legal guarantee." On govt listing road projects, houses being constructed for the poor, and facilities such as new classrooms and computers in schools, Sharma alleged, "The state govt is presenting funds coming under central govt schemes as its own."He further stated, "The budget also ignored health services and the interests of employees, leading to disappointment among the people."NOTHING for youth: SukhbirSAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal posted on X, "Punjab Budget 2026-27: Nothing but a pack of lies!" The last budget of the @AamAadmiParty betrayed the farmers, youth, poor, trade & industry, govt employees, and even women on #InternationalWomensDay!"He said, "Youth got NOTHING from this govt. The Rs 3,000 per month unemployment allowance remains a pipe dream. No money is allocated for implementing the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees or giving any incentive to the trade and industry." Badal stated, "Finance minister @HarpalCheemaMLA lied by claiming that speedy compensation was given to farmers while they still wait for it seven months after devastating floods hit the State. Similarly, a cruel joke was played on farmers by allocating Rs 15 crore for crop diversification."Badal added, "The finance minister allocated Rs 1,220 crore for the entire medical education and research dept but forgot to allocate any money for the 7 new medical colleges proposed by him!"He also stated, "In another fraud on Punjabis, a Rangla Punjab Vikas Scheme was floated to transfer Rs 1,170 crore to AAP MLAs for their constituencies. This is sheer loot of the state exchequer as this money will be misutilised by the MLAs."He further stated, "Even Rs 2,000 crore allocated for the Rs 10 lakh health insurance scheme is a gimmick as more than Rs 10,000 crore is needed to fund the scheme meant for a population above 3 crore."Badal added, "The AAP govt even defrauded women on International Women's Day by making it clear that it will not give a single rupee out of the Rs 48,000 due to each of them (till now) as part of the Rs 1,000 per month allowance promised to them. The scheme is truncated, many sections excluded, and only Rs 9,300 crore earmarked for it when the outlay should be more than Rs 60,000 crore."Ends MSID:: 129270673 413 |