DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Saturday described the Union Budget as "completely disappointing," claiming that none of the state's demands, including a package for crop diversification, were met, and it shows how much the BJP "hates" the border state. Cheema further said the Union Budget for 2025-26 was focused on Bihar's elections, catering to the BJP's political interests rather than addressing the needs of the nation.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her eighth budget in Parliament in Delhi on Saturday. Addressing the media, Cheema expressed his disappointment that none of the demands made by the Punjab government during the pre-budget meeting held in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, on December 20 last year were met in the budget.

He pointed out that the budget "failed" to mention the names of states other than those belonging to parties in alliance with the BJP at the Centre, highlighting the Prime Minister's "bias" towards specific states.

Cheema emphasised that Punjab, as a border state, had demanded a special industrial package for its five border districts to promote employment and development, similar to Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir.

He said the state had also demanded Rs 1,000 crore for strengthening police infrastructure along the 550 km border with Pakistan.

Furthermore, he expressed disappointment that the long-standing demands for the Rajpura to Chandigarh railway line and Vande Bharat rail services from Amritsar and Bathinda to Delhi were also ignored in the budget.

"The budget has completely disappointed Punjab. None of the demands of Punjab were considered. It shows how much the BJP hates Punjab," he said. In response to a media query about a legal guarantee to the MSP, Cheema said that the BJP-led Union government, "harboring animosity" towards Punjab, did not address the demand for a package to encourage crop diversification, let alone an MSP guarantee.

(editor@dailyworld.in)