Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit replies to CM Bhagwant, asks him to wait for SC decision in pending RDF issue
Sep 22, 2023
Chandigarh (Punjab) [India], September 22 : In reply to Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann regarding the pending Rural Development Fund (RDF) amounting to Rs 5,637 crore, Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Friday said that it would be appropriate to wait for Supreme Court’s decision before anything is done on the issue.
“I would like to convey that I am duty-bound to serve the people of Punjab. I have learnt from media reports that you have already approached the Honourable Supreme Court of India before approaching me. It would be appropriate to wait for the decision of the highest court before anything is done on the issue,” the Governor said.
The matter is already in the Supreme Court with the Punjab government filing a petition against the Centre for not paying the RDF to the state on July 5.
The Governor also not only indicated that he would not intervene but also flagged the issue to the CM seeking details of Rs 50,000 crore added to the debt of the state in Bhagwant Mann’s tenure.
“I have learnt that the debt of Punjab rose by about 50,000 crore during your regime. Details of utilisation of this huge amount may be furnished to me so that I will be able to convince the Prime Minister that the money has been properly utilised,” he said.
Mann on Thursday wrote to the Governor and urged Governor Banwarilal Purohit to take up the issue of pending Rural Development Fund (RDF) amounting to Rs 5,637.40 crore with the President and the Prime Minister, the move coming two months after Punjab government moved the Supreme Court overt the issue.
Seeking the Governor’s intervention in getting the pending Rural Development Fund (RDF) amounting to Rs 5,637 crore from the Centre, Mann said that his government has taken up the matter with the Centre and even at the level of the prime minister.
However, the amount of RDF has not yet been released by the Centre, he said.
