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2mo ago

Punjab’s Mann Presses Centre to Release ₹9,000 Crore and Unveils Storage and Commission Plans

Pending the Centre’s response, Mann proposed converting wheat godowns for rice, aligning arhtiya commission rates with MSP, boosting mandi infrastructure, adjusting procurement schedules.

Chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday sought the intervention of Union food minister Pralhad Joshi for the immediate release of over ₹9,000 crore pending rural development fund (RDF) and market fees. (@JoshiPralhad)

Overview

  • On July 16-17, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann met Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi in New Delhi to demand the immediate release of over ₹9,000 crore held up in RDF and market fees.
  • The pending funds comprise ₹7,737.27 crore in Rural Development Fund shares withheld since Kharif 2021-22 and ₹1,836.62 crore in market fees delayed since Rabi 2022-23.
  • Mann warned that the fund shortfall has stalled rural road projects, mandi mechanization, storage facility upkeep and other key agricultural infrastructure across Punjab.
  • A chronic covered-storage shortage has limited rice dispatches to 80 LMT over the past year and capped June’s lift at 8.5 LMT against a 14 LMT target.
  • To alleviate the bottleneck, he urged repurposing wheat godowns to free up 7 LMT of rice space and revision of the fixed arhtiya commission to 2.5 percent of MSP.