Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann said the Union Budget 2026 had once again failed to meet the expectations of Punjab.
He stated that the budget offered no MSP guarantee for farmers, no employment assurance for the youth, and no relief for industry or taxation. “The Centre has taken no concrete steps to strengthen Punjab’s economy, once again treating the state and its people unfairly,” he opined.
Mann said Punjabis were hardworking and resilient, and despite repeated neglect by the Centre, the AAP government and Punjab’s people will unite to rebuild Punjab and make it economically strong on their own.
Echoing the CM’s view, Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the Centre had once again ignored the legitimate concerns of farmers from Punjab and Haryana, exposing its hollow claims of being farmer-friendly. Cheema pointed out that there had neither been any increase in the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund nor any concrete support for strengthening mandi infrastructure, leaving agrarian states to fend for themselves.
The finance minister also criticised the selective approach adopted in promoting high-value crops: “While the budget mentions crops like coconut, cashew, sandalwood and nuts, there is nothing for north Indian farmers who depend on crops suited to their agro-climatic conditions.”
Cheema asserted that this budget clearly reflected the Centre’s bias and its continued indifference towards the farmers of food-grain producing states, particularly Punjab, who deserved respect, support and fair investment, not empty slogans.
{{/usCountry}}Cheema asserted that this budget clearly reflected the Centre’s bias and its continued indifference towards the farmers of food-grain producing states, particularly Punjab, who deserved respect, support and fair investment, not empty slogans.
{{/usCountry}}Punjab agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian also strongly criticised the Union Budget, stating that despite Punjab filling the national granary, its farmers had once again been left empty-handed. He said the budget offered no clear road map for MSP beyond wheat and rice, exposing the Centre’s lack of seriousness towards farmers’ income security.
Khuddian highlighted that there was neither a concrete package for crop diversification, which was crucial for sustainable agriculture in Punjab, nor any financial support for farmers affected by repeated floods. “The Centre has once again turned its back on the country’s annadatas, ignoring their hardships while making hollow promises,” he said.