Ahmedabad/Chandigarh: Punjab will present its state Budget in the Vidhan Sabha on March 8, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced during his Gujarat visit on Friday. He said the state government will neither introduce any new tax nor increase existing tax rates.
Mann is in Gujarat along with Arvind Kejriwal, national convenor of the Aam Aadmi Party, where the party is holding programmes across cities to discuss the Union Budget and the Gujarat Budget.
‘Budgets ignore common people’
Mann alleged that both the Union and Gujarat budgets have ignored common people, farmers, women, small traders and shopkeepers, and are designed to benefit a few big corporate houses.
He further claimed that Gujarat lacks a strong opposition, alleging that the Congress and the BJP function in “partnership”. “When there is no effective opposition, governments make arbitrary budgets. Gujarat has seen such budgets for 30 years,” he said.
‘Taxpayers’ money should benefit public’
The Punjab CM said people pay taxes from morning till night through daily consumption, electricity, water and other services. “The tax money you pay should be spent on you. But here it is going to a few selected houses,” he alleged.
Drawing a comparison, Mann said that in Delhi, the Kejriwal government used tax revenue to provide free healthcare, electricity and improved schools. He claimed that Punjab is following a similar model by providing free electricity to 90% of households and free medical treatment up to ₹10 lakh to around 65 lakh families. He also highlighted the establishment of Aam Aadmi Clinics and upgraded government schools in the state.
Roads and central funds
Mann said that out of 66,000 km of roads in Punjab, nearly 43,000 km are being rebuilt. He alleged that the Centre has withheld the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and that states not governed by the BJP are being denied central funds.
‘We are non-political people’
The chief minister described himself and his colleagues as “non-political people” who entered politics due to prevailing circumstances. He claimed that people in Gujarat are under economic pressure and are looking towards the AAP as an alternative.
He also alleged irregularities in voter enrolment exercises, claiming that voter lists are being manipulated across states.
