Slamming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre for harassing non-BJP government in the states, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday said the BJP was resorting to arm twisting tactics like stalling of Rural Development Fund (RDF) to target its opponents.
The CM, while summing up the discussion on resolution moved for the release of RDF in the state on the floor of Punjab Assembly, said that despite the fact that the state government has removed all the ambiguities done by the previous governments, the Centre has not released the funds yet.
Mann said he had himself called on the Union Rural Development Minister who had assured him these funds will be released soon. However, he said it never happened and the Union government has stalled the RDF of the state worth more than Rs 3622 crore.
The CM said everyone knows the Centre is targeting the non BJP governments in the country and not allowing them to work smoothly. He said these tantrums had put democracy in peril across the country. Mann said this is a dangerous trend which needs to be checked as it is not in the interest of the country.
The CM said for fulfilling its nefarious designs in the state, the Centre has appointed a person who is known as Governor. He said the post of Governor has its traces in the British regime and still these selected ones live with the same pomp and show as their predecessors did.
Mann said that as a matter of fact these Raj Bhawans have now emerged as the state headquarters of the BJP to meddle into affairs of the state. The CM said these selected ones are unnecessarily peeping in the work of the elected ones.
He quipped that if the Governors don’t interfere in the affairs of the states then the Centre rebukes the Governors for why they are sitting idle in the offices. Mann placed a number of letters written by the Punjab Governor to him and said that instead of writing such letters the Governor should flag the issues like RDF with the centre.
The Chief Minister, contrary to securing the interests of the state, the Punjab Governor is often seen on the other side when the issue of Panjab University is there.
Mann said that the Union Government has stalled Rs 3622 crore which would have been duly utilised for construction of link roads, upscaling of infrastructure in Mandis and others.
He said that if this fund is not released, then the state government will take up the matter in the Supreme Court of India for its early resolution. The Chief Minister said farmers of the state are harassed by the Central agencies on one pretext or other and then value cut is imposed.
He said the state government has been paying a value cut to compensate the farmers of the state and secure their interests. Mann said what if the farmers of state deny selling the grains to these agencies then from where will the Union government get grains for Public Distribution System.
