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AAP, Congress failed to comprehend true spirit of Budget: Jakhar
Addressing a press conference, Jakhar called out the AAP and the Congress for their “lack” of economic understanding, claiming that they have “failed” to comprehend the true spirit of the Budget.
Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar on Monday described the Union Budget as a strong foundation toward building a developed India.
Addressing a press conference, Jakhar called out the AAP and the Congress for their “lack” of economic understanding, claiming that they have “failed” to comprehend the true spirit of the Budget.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned yesterday that cities like Jalandhar, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Moga, and Ferozepur would benefit from this budget, which will accelerate the development.
Jakhar questioned chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann about when he last met the Prime Minister regarding Punjab’s demands and claimed that Mann made factually incorrect claims that the state received nothing from the Budget.
He further alleged that during a previous meeting chaired by the Union finance minister, Punjab’s finance minister did not present any budget proposals or development requests; he only asked for an increase in the state’s borrowing limit. Jakhar said that under Modi’s leadership, this Budget will give new momentum to equality and development. He alleged that CM Mann, out of fear of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal, avoided meeting the PM, even when he visited Punjab, thus violating established conventions.
Jakhar suggested that Mann should have met the PM to discuss Punjab’s additional demands.
He said that Punjab would receive funds for crop diversification or high-value crops only if the state government submits appropriate plans. He added that the Centre has allocated a substantial budget for fisheries, animal husbandry, and fertiliser subsidies. The Centre is providing ₹1.70 lakh crore as fertiliser subsidy, of which Punjab receives a significant share due to its high fertiliser consumption. Similarly, a large portion of the budget allocated for government procurement of food grains reaches the pockets of Punjab’s farmers.
He further stated that under the Khelo India initiative, as sports are promoted across the country, the sports goods to be sold will largely be manufactured in Jalandhar, Punjab, and questioned whether this would not benefit the state. He also said that the agreement between the Government of India and the European Union would greatly benefit Punjab’s MSME, textile, and sports industries.
