Chandigarh: Punjab finance minister Harpal Cheema on Wednesday presented a Rs 2.36 lakh crore budget for 2025-26 which focused on tackling drug menace and strengthening the health sector.

Even though no fresh taxes were imposed in the 2025-26 budget, it was silent on giving the monthly grant of Rs 1,000 to women, which was one of the key poll promises of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) before coming to power in 2022 with a stunning win.

It was the fourth budget presented by chief minister Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government.

Cheema in his budget speech, underlined the government’s ongoing drive (war against drugs) to fight drugs menace and said that the state government would also soon carry out a first-ever ``drug census’’ in the state during which data would be collected to understand the extent and prevalence of drugs, usage of de-addiction centres, besides other aspects of the drugs scourge.

Cheema earmarked Rs 150 crore to spend on the ``drug census’’. He also announced that the state will set up a second line of defence at its border by deploying 5,000 home guards alongside the Border Security Force to check the drug smuggling.

Stating that the revenue deficit and fiscal deficit were expected to be 2.52% and 3.84% respectively by the end of this fiscal, Cheema held that the state’s economy is on a trajectory of strong growth registering a 9% growth in the current year. While the gross state domestic product (GSDP) has reached Rs 8,09,538 crore, the same at the current prices is projected to expand by 10% in 2025-26.

Stating that the government will also strengthen the emergency response vehicles (ERVs) feet (which responds to 112 calls) with a proposed budget of Rs 125 crore and will procure 758 four-wheelers and 916 two-wheelers to increase the size of the ERVs’ fleet by six times.

Announcing an allocation of Rs 500 crore to support farmers for stubble management, Cheema said that the government has allocated Rs 14,524 crore – a 5% increase from previous year - for the agriculture and allied sectors.

OPPN PARTIES SLAM BUDGET

Meanwhile, the opposition parties Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and BJP said the budget lacked substance and vision and was all fluff.

Congress state chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring said that the budget lacked both substance and vision as there is practically nothing for infrastructure development. Stating that there is no provision for Rs 1000 monthly stipend for women who are feeling cheated for the fourth time, he said that the gimmick of ``drug addict cesus’’ is a cruel joke on addicts.

The SAD leader Sukhbir Badal also said on X: ``The AAP government & the CM@BhagwantMann have betrayed Punjabis by going back on all promises made to them …’’.

The BJP leader and Union minister Ravneet Bittu also took to X and said that "Empty vessels make the most noise’’ and that the AAP government has utterly failed to deliver on its flagship promise of Rs 1,000 per month for women.