Sukhbir Badal says Centre should not victimize Punjab farmers for protesting against farm laws 2020

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday said the Union government should not victimize Punjab farmers for agitating against the central farm laws 2020. He said that by refusing to pay the rural development fund (RDF) component of Rs 1100 crore on government paddy purchase only confirmed fears that the process to finish the ‘mandikaran’ system had begun. He condemning the Union ministry of consumer affairs, food and public distribution for not making any provision for RDF fund in the cash credit limit extended for the current paddy purchase, said this would affect the food grain procurement system in Punjab. Also Read | Punjab ETT Teacher Recruitment 2020 exam date announced He also said that the money received by the State from RDF fund, which was around Rs 1850 crore per annum, was used to maintain 1800 mandis and 70,000 kilometers of rural link roads. Do you think stopping Rural development fund amount from the due payment of MSP for Punjab is the next step towards abolishing MSP regime?

https://www.ptcnews.tv/poll-question-29-10-2020e/ Also Read | Centre stops Rs 1K Cr rural fund to Punjab Later, he asked the centre to make provision of RDF fee component in the FCI provisional cost sheet immediately. He also said that Punjab was already reeling under an economic blockade due to stoppage of inbound goods trains to the State. “Now it must not be subject to an attack on infrastructure built to facilitate farmers and rural areas. The central government must take into account that the farmers who are agitating against Farm laws 2020 are the same who fed the nation for fifty years. The centre should not use coercive measures against them and should win them over with love,” Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal added. Badal said the Punjab government should be allowed to withdraw RDF from the cash credit limit it has received to purchase the paddy crop. “Not allowing the State to do this amounts to a direct attack on the rights of the State and is against the principle of federalism. The Punjab Rural Development Act allows imposition of Mandi fee to maintain Mandi infrastructure as well as rural link roads. Funds under this head should not be denied under flimsy grounds of scrutiny as was being done by the Consumer Affairs department,” Sukhbir Badal concluded. -PTC News