Centre targeting Punjab over farm stir, says FM

Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, January 21

Punjab is being asked to pay the price for the farmers’ agitation, which itself was necessitated by the enactment of three farm laws that were against the interests of farmers, says Punjab Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal.

The withholding of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) by the Centre was directly linked to the ongoing agitation against the farm laws, said Badal. “We are being collectively targeted by the Government of India,” he told The Tribune on the sidelines of the State Credit Seminar organised by NABARD here today.

On January 19, the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution had written to the state government saying they would pay just one per cent RDF against the three per cent usually paid to the state. This would lead to a loss of Rs 800 crore to the state, thereby adversely affecting development works.

“Withholding of a major portion of the RDF on paddy purchase in 2020 is one such step. The Centre is also not conceding to the demand of hundreds of farmers to acquire their land beyond the border fencing. They graze the land by enduring hardship to help the armed forces keep better vigil. We have written to the Niti Aayog on this issue, but to no avail,” he said.

Badal told The Tribune the funds that the Centre was withholding were being given to the state the past six decades. “Asking Punjab to respond on how we have utilised the RDF is akin to citizens asking the government on how they utilise the income tax paid by them to the government.

“However, we responded to their letter, alleging misuse of the RDF, giving them details of fund utilisation over the past 10 years. They have still gone ahead and withheld the RDF. The government should have a bigger heart and not make the people of Punjab suffer by withholding money due to them,” he said.