Chandigarh, July 18: Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema asserted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the state left every section of the population deeply disappointed. The Finance Minister maintained that instead of addressing the legitimate financial concerns of the state, the Prime Minister chose to focus entirely on political rhetoric.
According to the Finance Minister, the people of the state held significant expectations that the Central Government would finally release long-standing financial clearances. This included crucial funds requested to address recent environmental challenges as well as mandatory agricultural infrastructure fees.
“The people of Punjab had high expectations from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit. Punjab expected that its legitimate pending dues would be released. However, Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to Punjab only to indulge in politics. He did not utter a single word about Punjab’s pending dues,” Harpal Singh Cheema stated during a press briefing.
The Finance Minister declared that critical allocations, including the Rural Development Fund and mandi fees, continue to remain blocked by the Centre. He maintained that after previous seasonal floods, a substantial relief package of twenty thousand crore rupees was requested, but the promised initial assistance of sixteen hundred crore rupees has yet to reach the state treasury.
While discussing the current administration’s fiscal management, Harpal Singh Cheema affirmed that capital investment under the present leadership has reached fifty-five thousand crore rupees, focused heavily on public infrastructure, healthcare, and education. He contrasted this with the capital investments of previous terms, noting that older administrations had lower spending outlays.
“Every single rupee spent by the Punjab Government is spent on the welfare of the people. A substantial amount of Punjab’s money has been withheld by PM Modi’s government. Our Chief Minister has met the Union Home Minister several times. We have also met the Union Finance Minister, and I have personally raised this issue on several occasions,” the Finance Minister added, while discussing ongoing efforts to secure the state’s welfare allocations.
