Punjab budget: Harpal Singh Cheema tables Rs 2.60 lakh crore budget ahead of 2027 polls

Punjab finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Sunday presented the state budget for 2026–27 with an allocation of Rs 2,60,437 crore, saying every promise made to the people of Punjab has been fulfilled.

The budget is the fifth presented by the Aam Aadmi Party government and the last before the state goes to polls in early 2027.

Presenting the budget in the Punjab assembly, Cheema said the budget was dedicated to the mothers and daughters of the state.

“This budget is dedicated to mothers and daughters of Punjab — a tribute to their strength and a celebration of their invaluable contribution to the society and future,” he said.

Cheema said the fifth budget of the state government marked an important stage in its period of governance.

“When the people of Punjab voted for change in March 2022, they did so with that same spirit — rejecting hollow politics and demanding a government that would be honest in intent, firm in resolve and decisive in action. Our vision of a ‘Rangla Punjab’ emerged from this moral foundation,” he said.

During his address, the finance minister also referred to the floods that affected parts of the state last year and praised the response of the people.

“When homes were submerged and livelihoods were disrupted, the people of Punjab stood together with remarkable strength and compassion, helping one another and rebuilding their lives with patience and resolve,” Cheema said.

He said that from the first day of taking responsibility for the state, the Aam Aadmi Party government led by chief minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had decided that the guarantees made to the public would be implemented.

“I stand before this august House with immense pride to state that rarely has a government, in the fifth year of its tenure, been able to say that every promise made to the people of Punjab has been fulfilled with confidence and credibility.

“Our Government has ensured that these guarantees were not rhetorical assurances, but structured policy interventions backed by budgetary support, institutional reforms and measurable outcomes. That is why I am naming this Budget as ‘Saari Guarantiyan Puri Karan Wala Budget’,” Cheema said.

Cheema said Punjab’s economy had shown resilience and structural stability over the past year.

For the financial year 2026–27, the gross state domestic product (GSDP) is projected to reach Rs 9,80,635 crore with an anticipated growth rate of 10 per cent.

The effective revenue deficit is estimated at 2.06 per cent of GSDP, while the fiscal deficit is projected at 4.08 per cent of GSDP.

“These estimates reaffirm our resolve to combine responsible fiscal management with sustained support for economic growth and public welfare,” the finance minister said.