Budget only aimed at creating headlines: Bajwa

Chandigarh: Punjab leader of opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Saturday criticised the state budget, stating that it was nothing more than a bundle of grand announcements aimed at creating headlines while completely ignoring the urgent need to revive Punjab's struggling economy.Bajwa said the budget once again exposes the AAP govt's lack of a clear economic vision to generate employment, revive industry, or improve the State's financial health.
Taking strong exception to the govt's claim that all guarantees have been fulfilled, Bajwa pointed out that the most prominent promise made by AAP during the 2022 Assembly elections, Rs 1,000 per month for women, was announced only now, after 4 years in power. "If the govt claims that all guarantees have been fulfilled, then why did Punjab's women have to wait 4 long years for the Rs 1,000 scheme? This clearly shows that the announcement is politically timed rather than a result of responsible governance," Bajwa said.Bajwa also highlighted the alarming rise in Punjab's debt under the AAP govt. He said when AAP came to power, the state's debt stood at around Rs 2.84 lakh crore, which has now surged to nearly Rs 4.17 lakh crore, placing an enormous financial burden on the State's future. "Instead of reducing the debt and strengthening revenue generation, the AAP govt is pushing Punjab deeper into a debt trap through reckless financial management and populist announcements," Bajwa said.The leader of opposition said the budget does not offer any credible strategy to attract real investments or create sustainable employment for Punjab's youth. He noted that while the govt claims to have received investment proposals worth thousands of crores, there is little clarity on how many of these proposals actually translated into industries on the ground."Youth unemployment continues to be one of the biggest challenges in Punjab. Thousands of young people are leaving the State and even migrating abroad in search of opportunities. Instead of presenting a clear industrial and employment strategy, the govt is merely presenting proposals and projections in its Budget speech," Bajwa said.