The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supported the decision of the Punjab Government to amend the Rural Development Act, 1987 for proper utilization of Rural Development Fund (RDF), a special fund received from the Central Government for the development of the villages and grain market of Punjab. The party has described the decision as a pro development and praised Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for this much needed amendment.Senior AAP Punjab leaders, Malwinder Singh Kang, Neel Garg and Dr Sunny Singh Ahluwalia, said in a press conference at the party headquarters on Wednesday that after this decision of the Mann government, the money of RDF will now be spent in the development of the villages and grain markets only. If this fund is properly utilized, the people of rural areas, especially the farmers will benefit a lot. They pointed out that during the previous governments this fund was misused due to which the central government had withheld Punjab’s fund since last year.
AAP leaders accused former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and Captain Amarinder Singh of misusing RDF, saying that the central government used to give this money every year to the Punjab government to improve the infrastructure of Punjab's mandis and villages, but both Akali and Congress governments misused this money. Instead of using it for development, the funds were used to fulfil their own political agendas. Badal government spent this development money in sangat darshan programs. And during the Captain government, this fund was used to repay Punjab Mandi Board debt. Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has today ensured that this fund will be used for the development of villages and grain markets of Punjab. This decision of Mann government is much welcomed. In the coming days, the positive effect of this decision will be visible in rural areas.
Farmers shouldn’t worry, our government will ensure the procurement of every grain of wheat: Malwinder Singh Kang
On the problems that farmers are facing due to less yield and thin grain of wheat, AAP leader Malwinder Singh Kang assured the farmers that after the letter of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to the Central Government, five teams of Centre are visiting the grain markets of 15 districts of Punjab to review the issue. There is no need for the farmers of Punjab to worry. Farmers will not face any kind of problem. Punjab government will ensure the purchase of every grain of wheat.