Centre agrees to release Rs 1,760 crore rural development fund for Punjab
Chandigarh, August 8
Union Minister for Food and Public Distribution Piyush Goyal has accepted a major demand of Punjab to release Rs 1,760 crore outstanding rural development fund (RDF) after Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann took up the matter with him today.
Sharing these details after meeting the Union Minister at the Rajya Sabha Secretariat, the CM said the minister asked the officials present to expeditiously process the case for the release of the pending RDF payments for the previous kharif and rabi procurement seasons. This would financially benefit
the state by more than Rs 1,700 crore, he said.
Mann called on the Union Minister today and discussed various issues of urgent importance with him. During the course of discussion, the Union Minister assured the CM of prompt action on the other demands raised by the state government, which would result in a financial benefit of more than Rs 2,800 crore for the state annually.
In addition to the Rs 1,760 crore RDF payment, the CM said the Union Minister had also accepted his request to revisit the decision to peg the reimbursement of interest payments to Punjab at the interest rates available to the FCI. The CM also took up the matter of inadequate reimbursement of expenditure incurred by the government for procurement of wheat a couple of months ago.
Centre agrees to release Rs 1,760 crore rural development fund for Punjab
