Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], March 26 : The Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday claimed that the state's financial condition is "very" bad ahead of the 2025-26 budget, accusing the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)-led government of failing to fulfill its pre-poll promises.
Speaking to media persons outside the Punjab Assembly, the LOP blamed the state government for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state.
He also criticized AAP for not implementing the direct bank transfer scheme of providing Rs 1,100 to women, a promise made ahead of the 2022 assembly elections by the party.
"The financial condition of Punjab is very bad. Punjab ranks 19th out of 28 states in financial status. AAP's pre-poll promise of giving Rs 1,100 to women remains unfulfilled. All administrative secretaries of the Punjab government are being transferred three to four times. The law and order situation in the state is poor," Partap Singh Bajwa said.
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh presented the AAP government's fourth budget today.
Cheema, while presenting the budget, said that the Punjab government vowed to carry out the first-ever "drug census" to understand the prevalence of drugs and the usage of de-addiction centres in the state.
Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema proposed a total budget expenditure of Rs 2,36,080 crore.
"I propose a total budget expenditure of Rs 2,36,080 crore for the financial year 2025-26. The effective revenue deficit and fiscal deficit are estimated to be 2.51 per cent and 3.84 per cent, respectively, which is an improvement over previous figures. This indicates that the state is on the path of fiscal consolidation," he said.
"I am proud to announce that our government has made a historic decision to build world-class roads in the cities of Punjab. In the first phase, we will construct approximately 50 kilometers of world-class roads over the next year in four cities--Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, and Mohali," Cheema said.
"These roads will include the most important routes in the cities, where local residents and tourists frequently travel," the state Finance Minister added.