CHANDIGARH; 3rd November 2026: Punjab Finance, Excise And Taxation Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday strongly rebutted the recent statements made by former Chief Minister and Congress leader Charanjit Singh Channi regarding the state’s lottery operations, terming his claims as “baseless, misleading, and a desperate attempt to stay politically relevant.”
Releasing detailed facts and figures, Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema stated, “The data exposes the gross financial mismanagement under the previous Congress regime while highlighting the unprecedented transparency and revenue growth achieved under the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.”
Drawing a sharp contrast between the Congress and AAP governments in Punjab, he continued, “During Charanjit Singh Channi’s tenure in the financial year 2021-22, the net receipts from state lotteries stood at a mere ₹19.33 crore, while Goods and Services Tax (GST) collections remained stagnant at ₹32.77 crore. Under the Bhagwant Mann government, net receipts have surged to a record ₹70.59 crore in the financial year 2025-26. Even in the current financial year 2026-27, up to October 31, the state has already secured net receipts of ₹54.21 crore.”
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“Furthermore, the state has recorded historic GST collections from lotteries, which have nearly tripled under the present government. These collections jumped from ₹32.77 crore in 2021-22 to a staggering ₹93.09 crore in 2025-26. For the current financial year, GST collections up to October 2026 stand at ₹59.43 crore,” Harpal Singh Cheema added.
He asserted, “When we look at the combined revenue from lotteries, comprising both net receipts and GST, the Congress government managed to generate only around ₹52.10 crore in 2021-22. In stark contrast, our government generated over ₹163.68 crore in 2025-26. That is a growth of more than 200%.”
Providing a year-on-year comparison of total revenue generation, the Finance Minister stated, “During the Congress regime, total annual revenue remained low, starting at a mere ₹7.47 crore in 2017-18, rising to ₹45.56 crore in 2018-19, ₹38.67 crore in 2019-20 and ₹59.87 crore in 2020-21, before declining to ₹52.10 crore in 2021-22.”
He pointed out, “In stark contrast, ever since the Bhagwant Mann government took charge and reformed the system, the financial trajectory has witnessed a consistent upward trend. Following a transition phase in 2022-23, with revenues of ₹47.47 crore, collections accelerated to ₹60.01 crore in 2023-24, broke previous records with ₹103.54 crore in 2024-25 and reached a historic ₹163.68 crore in 2025-26. Remarkably, in the current financial year 2026-27, the total collection had already crossed ₹113.64 crore by October alone, more than double what the previous government managed in its entire final year.”
Minister Harpal Singh Cheema advised the former Chief Minister to verify his facts before making public statements. “It is deeply ironic that leaders who presided over a period of financial stagnation and systemic corruption are now questioning a government that has consistently multiplied the state’s revenue. The AAP government remains fully committed to maximising state revenues to fund public welfare and development projects across Punjab.”
Reiterating that the figures speak for themselves and expose the false narrative being propagated by the opposition, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema assured the people of Punjab that the state’s finances are in secure and honest hands.