Jalandhar, Feb 1 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the Union Budget 2026-27 laid huge focus on transforming Jalandhar, Ludhiana and many other cities of the country into big centres of development.

Modi also said the free trade agreement (FTA) reached with the European Union recently would benefit Indian manufacturers, including those in Punjab, in exporting their products.

Addressing a gathering at the Dera Sachkhand Ballan here on the occasion of Guru Ravidas Jayanti, Modi said that in the Union Budget presented in Parliament on Sunday, a provision of Rs 17 lakh crore has been earmarked, which will benefit villages, the poor, farmers and the youth.

“The Budget will further empower the poor, the 'anndatta', youth and women," Modi said, adding, "It is a budget to strengthen villages, to increase farmers’ income, and promote 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' initiatives.” “Over the past years, our government made unprecedented investments in roads, electricity, water, rail and irrigation projects, with each penny spent on infrastructure creating several job opportunities,” he said.

If the roads in the villages are good, it will be easier to take the produce to the mandis, which will benefit all, he said.

“Our government, over the years, focused on providing good, cheap medical treatment to the poor and the middle class. In the last 11 years, many medicines have been made cheaper, while the poor and the elderly are being provided free treatment,” Modi said.

To make cancer treatment cheaper, many life-saving medicines have been made inexpensive, he added.

“There are many diseases for which medicines need to be imported from foreign countries. But for the poor and the middle class, such costly medicines remain out of reach. More such medicines have been made cheaper,” he said Referring to the Budget, Modi said its big focus was on making Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur (all in Punjab) and many other cities of the country big centres of development.

The Budget made a big provision of funds for the development of these cities, he said.

Modi also said that a provision of funds for the MSMEs sector has been made in the Budget, along with many announcements for the export sector.

“India is becoming a big exporting nation in the field of textiles and clothing. Therefore, the Budget made many announcements for the textile sector and the weavers,” Modi said.

The prime minister also said that several mega textile parks will come up in the country, which will benefit the cotton farmers and labourers.

Noting that sports was another focus area of the Budget, Modi said Punjab was way ahead in this field.

Under the Khelo India Mission announced in the Budget, not only modern infrastructure will come up, but coaches, staff and other professionals will also be prepared, Modi said.

Referring to the trade deal reached recently with the European Union, which he called historic, Modi said the entire world is calling it the “mother of all deals”.

“Our trade with 27 European countries will prosper with this deal, as we will pay negligible tax for sending goods there,” he said.

Asserting that Punjab is known for its hardworking people and skilled youth, the prime minister said the trade deal will benefit the state as well.

“Lakhs of people in Jalandhar, Ludhiana and Amritsar are engaged in the textile sector, which will get big markets now,” Modi said. PTI CHS ARI

Union Budget prioritises urban infrastructure, MSME and textile support while EU trade deal expands export market access for manufacturers. Union Budget 2026-27 directs substantial funding to urban infrastructure to create development hubs, improves healthcare affordability through cheaper essential medicines, and allocates resources for sports under the Khelo India mission. It also provides targeted support for MSMEs and the textile sector, including planned mega textile parks, alongside export incentives, while a recent EU trade agreement is expected to lower tariffs and widen market access for Indian exporters, particularly benefiting textile manufacturers in Punjab.