SAD, AAP SLAM CENTRE FOR HALTING RDF TO PUNJAB; BJP HITS BACK

With the Centre halting the Rural Development Fund (RDF) for Punjab, a war of words has begun in the state. Even as SAD and AAP slammed the Centre over withholding of the fund, the BJP accused the state government of misusing the money given to it by the central regime.

SAD and AAP said that withholding of RDF by Centre to Punjab, confirmed fears that the process to finish the ‘mandikaran’ system had begun.

On the other hand, BJP’s national general secretary Tarun Chugh said that RDF sent by the central government to Punjab was being misused, instead of being spent for village development. Therefore, the central government has asked the state for the record, so that money sent should be used for the villages itself.

The BJP national general secretary asked the Punjab government to calculate the RDF and invest the money in villages only. He accused the Amarinder Singh government of misusing the huge amount of rural development funds received from the Modi government for Punjab. He said that the money which was meant for the streets, drains, roads of the villages, was spent on other works by the state government.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal said the Union government should not victimize farmers for agitating against recently enacted farm laws by refusing to pay the rural development fund (RDF) component of Rs 1100 crore on government paddy purchase. This has confirmed fears that the process to finish the ‘mandikaran’ system had begun, he added.

In a statement, the SAD president condemned the Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution for not making any provision for RDF in the cash credit limit extended for the current paddy procurement season. He said this would adversely affect the food grain procurement system in Punjab. He said that the Centre should make provision of the RDF fee component in the FCI provisional cost sheet immediately.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also taken a strong stand on the issue, describing the move as the beginning of the implementation of the laws on agriculture.

In a statement Leader of Opposition (LoP) and AAP MLA Harpal Singh Cheema accused the Union government of being revengeful to the state and interfering in the internal affairs of the states, by withholding Rs 1000 crore on account of RDF payable to Punjab.

Cheema said that in the distressing situation, including the coronavirus pandemic wreaking havoc, the Union Government should not have withheld the funds under any pretext, adding that RDF was the right of the state as this 3% fund was separate from the MSP payable for the services rendered by the procurement agencies of the state.