Congress leader Bajwa questions Centre's claims of Punjab benefiting from India-EU trade

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday questioned the Centres claims of export-led growth for Punjab following the free trade pact between India and the European Union, stating that rhetoric without infrastructure and policy support would leave the border state excluded from its benefits.

Senior Congress leader Partap Singh Bajwa on Monday questioned the Centre's claims of export-led growth for Punjab following the free trade pact between India and the European Union, stating that ''rhetoric'' without infrastructure and policy support would leave the border state excluded from its benefits. Bajwa's statement came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the free trade pact with the EU would benefit Indian manufacturers, including Punjab-based goods makers, for exporting their products. Speaking to the media here on Monday, Bajwa referred to Modi's address in Jalandhar and said that while the prime minister spoke of sending goods to Europe under the India-EU trade pact, the ground reality in Punjab made such assurances deeply questionable. ''During his speech, the prime minister spoke about new export opportunities to Europe and said Punjab should take advantage of the free trade pact between India and Europe. ''The question Punjab asks is simple - how can our goods be sent competitively when the state itself is commercially chained?'' Bajwa stated. He highlighted that Punjab's natural advantage as a land-linked border state had been rendered meaningless, referring to the Attari-Wagah land route. ''The land border remains closed. Overland trade routes to Europe and Asia, and onward to Europe, which are the most cost-effective and efficient for Punjab, are unavailable. Exporters are forced onto long and expensive sea routes, eroding competitiveness even before products reach European markets,'' Bajwa pointed out. During his address at the Dera Sachkhand Ballan in Jalandhar on Sunday, Modi asserted that Punjab was recognised for its hardworking people and known for skilled youths, and the trade deal with the EU would also benefit Punjab. ''Lakhs of people in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar are engaged in the textile sector. Punjab's textile sector will get new and big markets. 27 countries (markets) have opened,'' Modi said. Bajwa also flagged the inadequate state of air cargo infrastructure in the state. ''Airports at Halwara, Adampur and Bathinda exist largely as token facilities, with no meaningful cargo movement. Even Chandigarh and Amritsar face limited flights and weak cargo operations. Without reliable logistics, exporters cannot meet European timelines or cost benchmarks,'' he said. Bajwa stated, ''Punjab is not asking for favours. It is asking for a fair partnership in national growth. If the Centre genuinely wants Punjab to benefit from the India-EU FTA, it must unlock borders, strengthen logistics, and integrate Punjab into India's export strategy. Reacting to the Union Budget, Bajwa asserted that Punjab had been completely ignored. ''Punjab does not figure anywhere in the Budget. There is no economic revival roadmap, no industrial push, no employment package for unemployed youth, and no serious strategy for linking agriculture with processing and exports,'' he said. Bajwa, who is the Leader of Opposition in the Punjab Assembly, said that farmers had once again been disappointed, with the Budget remaining silent on a legal guarantee for minimum support price despite rising input costs, debt and climate stress. ''Agriculture continues to be treated as charity, not as a growth engine,'' Bajwa said. The Qadian MLA also highlighted that Punjab's fiscal stress and the challenges of being a sensitive border state had been ''overlooked''. ''Cooperative federalism is spoken of, but it is missing in action when it comes to allocations and policy support,'' he said.

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