Punjab again turns to Supreme Court over RDF dues

The Punjab Government on Tuesday urged the Supreme Court to urgently take up its plea seeking the release of over Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre on account of alleged dues of market fee and rural development fee (RDF).

“My season is starting today and the infrastructure of the mandis and the agrarian societies in Punjab is in dilapidation, My Lords,” Punjab Advocate General Gurminder Singh told a Bench led by DY Chandrachud. Singh said though the matter was listed on Tuesday, it was unlikely to come up for hearing as the Bench was hearing another part-heard matter.

As the Advocate General requested the Bench to keep the Punjab Government’s suit high on the board (cases listed for hearing before a Bench), the CJI assured him that the matter would be kept in “some higher position” on the list.

The Punjab Government, which wanted immediate release of over Rs 1,000 crore from the Centre, has made several requests to the top court over the past few months to urgently take up its plea. The Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government last year filed a suit in the Supreme Court against the Centre over the non-reimbursement of statutory dues allegedly running into thousands of crores of rupees that the State government had levied on behalf of the Centre during the procurement of foodgrain.