After the flood in Punjab, politics has heated up over the SDRF fund. Mann said in a press conference that Punjab is being harassed deliberately. The Center has stopped our Rural Development Fund (RDF) and GST money.
Now there is a ruckus in Punjab over the SDRF fund of Rs 12000 crore. Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann said in a press conference on Saturday that BJP is misleading the public in the matter of this fund. In the last 15 years, the state has received only Rs 5012 crore under SDRF, out of which 3820 crores have been spent. The talk of Rs 12 thousand crores is wrong. Only politics is being done on this. The lie is being spread that Punjab has a lot of SDRF money, whereas the reality is the opposite. At the same time, the BJP, citing the CAG report, said that according to it, Rs 10380.41 crore of SDRF had been deposited by March 31, 2024.
Mann said in a press conference that Punjab is being harassed deliberately. The Center has withheld our Rural Development Fund (RDF) and GST money. The same is being done with other opposition governments. We are not asking for any additional funds. We are asking the Center to release Rs 60 thousand crore, which is the right of the state. If the Center releases the money, then we are ready to withdraw the case from the Supreme Court as well. Mann taunted that they consider us to be from another planet. Opposition governments are being harassed by the Governor. Mann said that the Center is only busy visiting the affected areas. People are not being helped.
Details of funds received from SDRF and expenditure
Jakhar cited CAG report
Bharatiya Janata Party state president Sunil Jakhar has cornered CM Mann on the issue of SDRF, citing the CAG report. Jakhar said that it is clear in the CAG report that on March 31, 2024, a total of Rs 10380.41 crore of SDRF had been deposited with the state government. Similarly, on March 31, 2023, Punjab had Rs 9041.74 crore of SDRF. Jakhar said that according to the report, the state government did not even spend it in violation of the rules of the central government. Jakhar claimed that after this the funds of 2024-25 and 2025-26 have come, which together amount to a total of Rs 12 thousand crore. The Chief Secretary has also accepted this. He said that instead of misleading Punjab, the Aam Aadmi Party government should apologize to the people of the state and work to provide relief to the people by properly utilizing this amount. Jakhar alleged that the central leadership of AAP has a lot of interference in Punjab. In such a situation, CM Mann should fulfill his responsibility and provide the benefit of Rs 12 thousand crore to the people.
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