The Punjab Budget Session 2026 began on Friday in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha in Chandigarh with Governor Gulab Chand Kataria delivering the inaugural address. However, the start of the session quickly turned tense when Congress legislators staged a protest and later walked out during the Governor’s speech.
Governor Kataria opened his address with the traditional Sikh greeting “Jo Bole So Nihal,” outlining the achievements and priorities of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government in the state. The session marks an important moment for the ruling party as it prepares to present its fifth and final budget before the next Punjab Assembly elections.
Soon after the address began, Opposition leaders raised objections. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa stood up in the Assembly to question the functioning of the government. Governor Kataria asked him to sit down and raise his concerns at the appropriate time, but Bajwa continued speaking as the Governor proceeded with his address.
Within minutes, Congress MLAs started raising slogans against the government and moved into the Well of the House, shouting “Punjab Sarkar Muradabad.” The protests intensified as the Governor continued his speech highlighting the government’s programmes in health and education. Barely 17 minutes after the start of the session, Congress legislators staged a walkout from the Assembly.
Despite the disruptions, the Governor continued his address and highlighted several initiatives undertaken by the Punjab government over the past few years. In the education sector, the government’s “Punjab Sikhya Kranti” programme was highlighted as a major reform initiative. According to the Governor, the state has recruited 13,765 teachers since 2022 to strengthen government schools.
The government has also focused on leadership training for school administrators. As part of this effort, 234 principals and education officers were sent to Singapore, IIM Ahmedabad, and Turku in Finland for specialized leadership development programmes.
Governor Kataria said that Punjab has emerged as a top-performing state in the Parakh Rashtriya Sarvekshan 2024, reflecting improvements in learning outcomes. He also announced that 118 government schools across the state are being transformed into modern “Schools of Eminence” equipped with advanced infrastructure and facilities.
The Governor also highlighted student achievements in competitive examinations. According to the data presented during the address, 192 students from government schools qualified for the JEE Mains exam while 679 students cleared the NEET examination.
A major welfare initiative mentioned during the speech was the state’s free electricity scheme. Governor Kataria said that around 90 percent of households in Punjab are benefiting from free electricity of up to 300 units per month. The government has also introduced daytime power supply for farmers, allowing them to irrigate their fields during regular working hours instead of late-night schedules in extreme weather conditions.
Also Read
Jay Pawar Shares Video Allegedly Showing VSR Ventures Owner Rohit Singh Sleeping in Cockpit
Infrastructure development also featured prominently in the address. The Punjab Mandi Board is implementing a large-scale road upgrade and modernization project aimed at repairing damaged roads across the state. The project has an estimated cost of ₹12,597 crore and is expected to significantly improve road connectivity.
In the agriculture sector, the government has been working on expanding irrigation infrastructure. Plans have been made to construct 3,443 kilometres of new water courses across the state, and approximately 2,650 kilometres of work has already been completed.
Farmers in districts such as Sangrur, Bathinda, Jalandhar and Kapurthala are receiving financial assistance of ₹17,500 per acre under a pilot agricultural support scheme. The state government has also increased the State Agreed Price for sugarcane by ₹15 per quintal, taking it to ₹416 per quintal, which the government claims is the highest in the country.
Another major announcement highlighted during the speech was the launch of India’s first fully digital flood relief system. The new platform will allow authorities to conduct quick surveys of affected areas and transfer compensation directly to beneficiaries, ensuring faster and more transparent disaster relief.
The ongoing budget session will last for 11 days and is expected to witness intense political debates. Finance Minister Harpal Cheema is scheduled to present the state budget on March 8, which coincides with International Women’s Day. This will be the first time in the history of the Punjab Assembly that the state budget is presented on a Sunday.
Sources suggest that the upcoming budget may include a monthly honorarium of ₹1,000 for women, a key promise made by the AAP during the Assembly elections. The move is seen as an effort to strengthen support among women voters, who constitute nearly 48 percent of the electorate in Punjab.
Officials have indicated that the government is unlikely to introduce new taxes in the budget. However, the Opposition is expected to raise questions over the state’s financial condition, particularly the rising public debt, which has crossed ₹4 lakh crore.
With the Assembly elections approaching in the coming years, the budget session is expected to become a major political battleground. While the AAP government plans to highlight its welfare schemes and governance record, Opposition parties are preparing to challenge the government on issues such as debt burden, governance and law and order in the state.
Summary / Key Highlights
The Punjab Budget Session 2026 began with Governor Gulab Chand Kataria’s inaugural address in the Assembly. Congress MLAs protested during the speech and staged a walkout shortly after the session started. The Governor highlighted several government initiatives including education reforms, free electricity for households, irrigation projects and road modernization. The state will present its budget on March 8, marking the first time the Punjab Assembly budget is presented on a Sunday. The session is expected to witness strong political debates as parties prepare for upcoming elections.