AAP GOVERNMENT IS CRAFTING ‘BADALDA PUNJAB’, CONGRESS, BJP-AKALI REGIMES TURNED PUNJAB INTO ‘UDTA PUNJAB’; FM CHEEMA
AAP GOVERNMENT HAS REVOLUTIONIZED PUNJAB, TRANSFORMING IT FROM:
- ‘BATTI GUL’ TO BATTI FULL PUNJAB
- DILAPIDATED GOVT SCHOOLS TO SMART GOVT SCHOOLS
- UNEMPLOYED PUNJAB TO EMPLOYED PUNJAB
- ANTI-INVESTMENT TO PRO-INVESTMENT PUNJAB
- NO SPORTS TO PRO-SPORTS PUNJAB
Chandigarh, March 26
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, under Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, unveiled its fourth budget today, titled ‘Badlda Punjab Budget 2025-26’. Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema hailed it as a forward-looking roadmap to reshape Punjab into a dynamic, prosperous, and inclusive state.
Speaking to the media after presenting the budget, Cheema sharply criticized the previous Congress and BJP-Akali governments for their mismanagement, which he said had pushed Punjab into economic and social chaos. “The Akali Dal and Congress regimes wrecked Punjab with corruption, drugs, flawed policies, and a lack of foresight. They handed us a state plagued by addiction, joblessness, and decaying infrastructure. In just three years, we’ve turned the tide and put Punjab on the path to progress,” he asserted.
Cheema accused the earlier Congress and BJP-Akali governments of letting Punjab spiral into a drug crisis, ruining the lives of its youth. In contrast, he highlighted the AAP’s ‘Yudh Nashe De Virudh’ campaign to eradicate drug abuse. Since March 1, 2,136 FIRs have been filed, and 3,816 drug peddlers arrested. To curb cross-border smuggling, ₹110 crore has been earmarked for cutting-edge anti-drone technology and 5,000 Home Guards to assist the BSF. Additionally, ₹150 crore will fund Punjab’s first “Drug Census,” while ₹125 crore will bolster emergency response through enhanced Dial 112 services.
Cheema slammed the previous governments for neglecting sports and fostering drugs and gangsterism instead of talent. Under CM Bhagwant Mann, the AAP government is reviving Punjab’s sporting legacy with a record-breaking ₹979 crore allocation for 2025-26. Village playgrounds and 3,000 indoor gyms are boosting local infrastructure, while 13 Centers of Excellence are being upgraded for top-tier training. In three years, athletes have received ₹100 crore in rewards and government jobs.
watch….ਵਿੱਤ ਮੰਤਰੀ ਨੇ ਬਦਲਦੇ ਪੰਜਾਬ ਲਈ ਸਰਬਪੱਖੀ ਵਿਕਾਸ ਨੂੰ ਸਮਰਪਿਤ ਬਜਟ ਪੇਸ਼ ਕੀਤਾ
The Finance Minister pointed out that under Congress and BJP-Akali rule, Punjab’s healthcare system crumbled, with rundown hospitals and a dire shortage of doctors creating a “Bimar Punjab.” The AAP government, however, is building a “Sehatmand Punjab.” A landmark move brings 65 lakh families under health insurance, doubling coverage to ₹10 lakh per family via the ‘Mukhya Mantri Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana’ with ₹778 crore allocated. Additionally, 881 Aam Aadmi Clinics, established in three years, serve over 70,000 patients daily and have reached 3 crore people, backed by ₹268 crore.
Through its ‘Rangla Punjab’ vision, the AAP government is turning its historic 2022 mandate into tangible results. The ‘Rangla Punjab Vikas Scheme’, with ₹585 crore (₹5 crore per constituency), will tackle local needs, upgrading roads, schools, hospitals, and sanitation for direct public benefit.
Cheema recalled the endless power cuts and sleepless nights Punjabis endured under Congress, BJP, and Akali rule due to neglected power infrastructure. In three years, the Mann government has turned “Batti Gul Punjab” into “Batti Full Punjab,” with 90% of families enjoying 300 units of free electricity and ₹7,614 crore allocated for 2025-26.
He accused past regimes of “Pariwarwad,” where one family extorted cuts from every business, driving investors away, while Congress handed jobs only to cronies. The AAP government, Cheema said, is fostering a “Sarbat Da Bhala” Punjab, securing ₹96,836 crore in investments and providing over 50,000 merit-based jobs in three years, free of corruption.
Under Congress and Akali rule, Punjab’s government schools were left in ruins. The AAP government is turning “Khasta School Wala Punjab” into “Smart School Wala Punjab” with ₹17,975 crore—12% of the budget—dedicated to education. This includes upgrading 425 primary schools into “Schools of Happiness,” launching the “Punjab Young Entrepreneur Program,” and equipping over 4,000 schools with solar panels. “Schools of Eminence” and global teacher training are ensuring world-class education.
Cheema highlighted how nepotism under past governments turned Punjab into “Berozgar Punjab,” forcing youth to migrate. The AAP government has sparked an employment revolution, providing 51,655 merit-based government jobs in three years, transforming it into “Rozgar Wala Punjab.” Through 1,468 placement camps, 85,248 youths found jobs, and 24,345 received self-employment loans. With ₹230 crore for skill training and counseling, Punjab is now a hub of opportunity.
“This budget isn’t just numbers—it’s a vision for Punjab’s transformation. We’re creating a future where every Punjabi can dream big and succeed. This is the ‘Badlda Punjab’ people voted for,” Cheema declared. He noted that since AAP entered Punjab’s political scene in 2017, the 2022 elections saw overwhelming public support, and the Mann government is delivering on that trust.
