Chandigarh, March 26 Praising the Punjab Budget, State Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) President, Aman Arora, said on Wednesday that the budget would take the state forward and make it prosperous and thriving once again.
Arora said no new tax has been levied in the Rs 2.36 lakh crore budget.
"At the same time, revenue has increased by 14 per cent compared to the previous year."
He added that this budget "reflects the AAP government's action against drugs and its commitment to eradicating drugs. The budget has allocated Rs 110 crore for advanced anti-drone systems to combat cross-border smuggling. Additionally, Rs 150 crore has been allocated for Punjab's first drug census".
He also said that Rs 125 crore will be spent on improving the 112 emergency services.
For this, the state government will purchase 1,674 two-wheelers and four-wheelers, reducing the police response time to just eight minutes, the State AAP President added.
Arora said promoting sports is a better way to eradicate drugs.
Therefore, the AAP government is also reviving Punjab's sporting tradition, he added.
He said that a budget of Rs 979 crore has been allocated for sports in the 2025-26 Budget, the highest ever.
Sports grounds in every village and more than 3,000 indoor gyms are also being constructed, he added.
The AAP government is also building a "Healthy Punjab," Arora said.
"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 Rs 5 to Rs 10 lakh per family, with Rs 778 crore allocated for this purpose. The health department's budget has been increased to around Rs 5,600 crore, including Rs 268 crore for Aam Aadmi Clinics. These clinics treat more than 70,000 patients daily and have treated more than 3 crore people so far," he added.
Arora said that an allocation of more than Rs 18,000 crore has been made for education, the highest ever.
He added 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, he said.
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