Non-release of Rural Development Fund: CM Mann threatens to move SC against Centre; Punjab passes resolution

Punjab, being a procurer of food grains for the central pool, levies 3 per cent RDF on the Centre. Earlier, the state government used to levy only 2 per cent RDF but had enhanced it by one per cent saying that it would spend the additional money on waiving the debt of farmers and farm labourers. The Centre has not agreed to it and is not disbursing the amount pertaining to the last procurement season.

“I hope the Centre releases the fund soon, otherwise the Supreme Court is opening on July 1,” said CM Mann.

The resolution was tabled by Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian and seconded by Education Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer and passed by the Assembly in the absence of the main Opposition Congress that staged a walkout at the onset of the session. The BJP members also stayed away from the House.

“The RDF is Punjab’s right. The Centre is not paying it. It is affecting our rural infrastructure. I condemn the Centre,” CM Mann said while accusing his predecessor Captain Amarinder Singh of misusing the money. “This is called financial indiscipline. So they stopped the funds. The Centre asked for an amendment to the Act. We brought it. They said this is fine. I went to union minister Piyush Goyal, and had a good meeting. They said the money will be released. But money never came. The Centre harasses the non-BJP states like this. Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Delhi and Punjab are facing similar issues,” the chief minister said.

Displaying a pile of papers to the House, Mann said these are the ‘love letters’ written to him by Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit. “We do reply. Sometimes we wait for spare time to answer them. It is the duty of the Governor to seek the fund from the Centre. But he does the reverse. He speaks from the Haryana side. I asked him the other day if he has come from Haryana,” the chief minister criticised.

CM Mann lashed out at the Governor, terming that the Governors’ offices have become BJP’s regional offices. “If we get Rs 3,622 crore, we will use this money for the roads. They cannot do arm-twisting by stopping state’s funds. They keep saying grains have shrivelled and they will deduct 20 per cent from Minimum Support Price (MSP). We have paid that money. It has cost us Rs 70 crore,” CM Mann claimed and asked what would happen if the state stopped supplying the crops.

“What if Punjab says we will not give our produce? But Punjab is a large-hearted state. We leave grains in the fields for birds. The FCI (Food Corporation of India) wants to run away. They want to buy from other states because there they do not have to pay MSP. In UP and Bihar, they have a mandi in a radius of 300 km. Here, we have a mandi in a radius of 3 km. So that want to buy produce at zero per cent. How can we allow that? But they want to trouble the states,” the chief minister alleged.

The resolution, taken up in the special session of Vidhan Sabha read, “Due to non-release of Rural Development Fee (RDF) for the last four seasons (KMS 2021-22, RMS 2022-23, KMS 2022-23 & RMS 2023-24) by the Government of India, the rural development works of the state of Punjab are being adversely affected.”

It added, “The Punjab Vidhan Sabha strongly condemns that despite the requisite amendments in the Punjab Rural Development Act, 1987, as directed by the Government of India, being passed by this August House and consequent notification published in the official gazette by the present state government. On July 18 last year, the Government of India has not yet released the withheld amount of Rs 3622.40 crore towards Rural Development Fee @ 3% accumulated for the last four seasons on agricultural produce bought from the state of Punjab.”

The resolution said that Punjab has created a huge market infrastructure unparalleled by any other state of India. The RDF so collected is utilised solely for the welfare of farmers of the state and development of rural infrastructure, including maintenance and creation of rural mandis and rural link roads for enabling easy access in transporting agricultural produce to the nearest mandis, it stated.

Without naming former CM Captain Amarinder Singh, minister Meet Hayer hit out at the previous Congress government for “mortgaging RDF” and the state was hence paying an instalment of Rs 10,000 crore.

Dr Sukhwinder Kumar Sukhi of the Shiromani Akal Dal, BSP member Nachhattar Pal and Independent MLA Rana Inder Partap Singh also supported the resolution. Dr Sukhi also raised the issue of spending money on advertisements to media in other states and usage of state’s helicopters for visiting other states.

Pal said the House should come together to get the money released from the Centre.

Mann also slammed the Leader of Opposition Parkash Bajwa of the Congress for demanding to table the Action Taken Report on BJP’s alleged ‘Operation Lotus’ during the Assembly session. “Bajwa is always worried about the BJP. That is why he was asking about Operation Lotus. He wants to know where he is placed. We have gems here,” he said looking at the AAP members.

“I wish the Opposition was also present here. They should talk. Walkout does not yield anything,” said Mann.

Earlier, Bajwa had opposed the resolution stating that during the special sitting of the 16th Assembly, only that business will be transacted for which the session is called and any other business including questions, call attention notices, and other business proposed by private member bill shall not be raised.

Bajwa had also questioned the motive of calling a special session. “There is no question hour, zero hour, private bill, adjournment motion. What is the need for such a session?” he asked.