Praising the Punjab Budget 2025-26, Aam Aadmi Party Punjab President Aman Arora said that this budget will take Punjab forward and make the state prosperous and thriving once again. Addressing a press conference at the party office along with Cabinet Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, AAP leaders Neel Garg and Sunny Ahluwalia, Aman Arora stated that no new tax has been levied in the ₹2.36 lakh crore budget.
At the same time, revenue has increased by 14% compared to the previous year.He said that this budget reflects the AAP government's action against drugs and its commitment to eradicating drugs. The budget has allocated ₹110 crore for advanced anti-drone systems to combat cross-border smuggling. Additionally, ₹150 crore has been allocated for Punjab’s first "drug census."
Furthermore, ₹125 crore will be spent on improving the '112 emergency' services. For this, the government will purchase 1,674 two-wheelers and four-wheelers, reducing the police response time to just 8 minutes.Arora said that promoting sports is a better way to eradicate drugs.
Therefore, the AAP government is also reviving Punjab's sporting tradition. A budget of ₹979 crore has been allocated for sports in the 2025-26 budget, the highest ever. Sports grounds in every village and over 3,000 indoor gyms are also being constructed.The AAP government is also building a “Healthy Punjab.”
This year's budget has decided to bring 65 lakh families under health insurance, increasing the coverage under the 'Chief Minister Sarbat Sehat Bima Yojana' from ₹5 lakh to ₹10 lakh per family, with ₹778 crore allocated for this purpose. The health department's budget has been increased to around ₹5,600 crore, including ₹268 crore for Aam Aadmi Clinics. These clinics treat over 70,000 patients daily and have treated more than 3 crore people so far.
An allocation of over ₹18,000 crore has been made for education, the highest ever. Arora stated that quality education and health are the government's priorities. Additionally, the budget includes provisions for installing 2.5 lakh streetlights, which will provide significant convenience and enhance safety for people.
This year's budget also includes ₹250 crore to incentivize industry. Arora stated that the AAP government is promoting trade and industry in the state. Over the last three years, Punjab has attracted investments worth approximately ₹97,000 crore. Special provisions have also been made in the budget for rural development, under which nearly 19,000 kilometers of link roads in villages will be repaired and constructed.
He said such a budget is possible because the AAP government is working honestly for the development of the people of Punjab. In contrast, corruption and commissions were rampant during previous governments, leaving their budgets hollow. Our government is eliminating corruption and prioritizing development and public welfare.