NEW DELHI: Punjab Finance, Planning, Excise and Taxation Minister Advocate Harpal Singh Cheema on Thursday urged the Union Government to extend the same humanitarian spirit towards Punjab as it has shown in providing aid to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
He questioned the Centre’s priorities, asking why relief was dispatched swiftly across borders while flood-hit Punjab continues to face delays in receiving financial and humanitarian assistance.
Emphasizing Punjab’s historic contribution to the nation’s food security and economy, Cheema said the state deserves timely and adequate support in its hour of crisis. “If humanitarian aid can be sent across borders, then why the hesitation in helping our own people?” he asked.
The Finance Minister pressed the Centre to expedite the release of relief packages, infrastructure support, and rehabilitation measures for flood-affected families.
He reiterated the Punjab Government’s commitment to stand with its citizens and appealed to people to donate generously to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, assuring transparency and accountability in its utilization.
Turning to economic reforms, Cheema welcomed the reduction in GST rates in favour of consumers, noting that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) had been demanding such measures from the outset. He said the benefits of the new 2-slab GST structure must reach ordinary citizens, especially those struggling with inflation, to make the reform impactful.
However, Cheema cautioned that while GST rate cuts help consumers, they also reduce state revenues.
He recalled that states had agreed to implement GST only after the Centre assured compensation for revenue losses until their economies stabilized. “The economies of states are still not stable, and the latest GST cuts will further affect them,” he said.
Calling for the continuation of GST compensation, the Finance Minister argued that such support is vital to maintain fiscal stability, particularly in light of natural disasters.
He stressed that Punjab, grappling with its worst floods in four decades, requires both extended GST compensation and urgent financial relief from the Centre to support farmers and rebuild livelihoods.
