Panjab Govt. Rejects Draft NPFAM, SKM Lauds Move

On 25 Feb, the Panjab assembly unanimously passed a resolution rejecting the Union government’s draft National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing (NPFAM), deeming it an indirect attempt to reinstate the repealed 2021 farm laws. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann accused the Union govt. of undermining Panjab by withholding rural development funds and allegedly targeting deportees by routing flights to Amritsar. Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa of the Indian National Congress (INC) supported the resolution, warning it would erode the Agricultural Produce Market Committee system. The Samyukt Kisan Morcha lauded Panjab’s stance, urging other states to follow suit to protect farmers’ interests and federal rights. Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party’s Panjab chief Sunil Jakhar said, ‘If NPFAM is not up to the mark, then, what is stopping the Panjab CM from implementing the draft state policy?’ The state draft policy proposes an Agriculture Cost and Price Commission and alternative marketing systems. In another development, a heated debate in the Panjab assembly saw Bajwa accuse the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of collecting ‘party funds’ from govt. officials. He cited a complaint involving an upright superintendent from the State Electricity Board in Hoshiarpur. AAP ministers dismissed it as baseless and highlighted corruption under the prior INC regime. Separately, consumers in Panjab will now face higher liquor costs due to the revised Excise Policy, 2025–26 which aims to collect an additional USD 100M by levying extra licence fees at the first sale stage and increasing the special cess for gaushalas (cow sheds). Furthermore, AAP’s decision to field Rajya Sabha (Upper House) Member of Parliament Sanjeev Arora for the Ludhiana West bypoll ignited speculation that former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal might seek a Rajya Sabha seat from Panjab, a claim swiftly denied by AAP leaders. The Ludhiana West seat fell vacant after the death of sitting Member of Legislative Assembly Gurpreet Bassi Gogi, and the bypoll is mandated within six months.