Chandigarh, November 3, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Tuesday rejected former Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi’s remarks on the state’s lottery operations, calling his claims “baseless, misleading, and a desperate attempt to stay politically relevant.”
Presenting revenue figures, Cheema said net receipts from state lotteries rose from Rs 19.33 crore in 2021-22, during the Congress government, to a record Rs 70.59 crore in 2025-26 under the Bhagwant Mann government. Collections in the current financial year stood at Rs 54.21 crore up to October 31.
Lottery-related GST collections also increased from Rs 32.77 crore in 2021-22 to Rs 93.09 crore in 2025-26. The figure for 2026-27 stood at Rs 59.43 crore up to October 2026, he said.
Combining net receipts and GST, Punjab’s lottery revenue reached Rs 163.68 crore in 2025-26, compared with Rs 52.10 crore in 2021-22, representing growth of more than 200%, according to the minister.
Cheema said annual combined collections stood at Rs 7.47 crore in 2017-18, Rs 45.56 crore in 2018-19, Rs 38.67 crore in 2019-20 and Rs 59.87 crore in 2020-21. After reaching Rs 47.47 crore in 2022-23, collections rose to Rs 60.01 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 103.54 crore in 2024-25.
He added that total lottery revenue in the current financial year had crossed Rs 113.64 crore by October, which he said was more than double the amount generated in the Congress government’s final year.
Advising Channi to check the figures before making public statements, Cheema said the AAP government was committed to increasing state revenue to fund public welfare and development projects.
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