Taking exception to the Union government’s decision to reduce Market Development Fee (MDF) and Rural Development Fee (RDF) for wheat procurement, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday said the Narendra Modi Government has again shown its ‘bitterness’ towards Punjab.

He said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government’s decision to reduce MDF to two per cent and RDF to zero per cent in the provisional cost sheet for wheat procurement issued to the state government is a dictatorial step.

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“BJP’s anti-Punjab and anti-farmer face is exposed… Despite our efforts, the market fee has been reduced from 3 to 2 per cent and RDF from 3 to 0 per cent in this Rabi season… Punjab will lose Rs 250 Crore from market fee and 750 crore of RDF, total Rs 1000 Crore…” the CM said in a tweet.

He wondered if  senior leaders Captain Amarinder Singh,  Sunil Jakhar, Manpreet Singh Badal, Bains brothers, Rana Gurmeet Singh Sodhi, Fateh Jang Bajwa, Inder Atwal, who have become new BJP members will have the courage to take up this matter with the PM, Modi.

Mann said the Modi government has been working against Punjab and its farmers because of their defeat during the farmers’ movement against farm laws. He said today the Center has again shown their bitterness towards Punjab and the farmers by brazenly refusing to give Rs 1000 Crore to the state.

The CM reminded the Modi government that it is Punjab and Punjab’s farmers, who made our country food sufficient. “But in return what has the Centre ever done for Punjab and our farmers?,” he asked, challenging the leaders of the Punjab BJP to take up this matter with Narendra Modi. Mann said they should raise their voice for the rights of Punjab by opposing this dictatorial attitude of the Modi government.

He said leaders of the AAP government of Punjab were constantly asking the Center to release the pending rural development fund.  “This money is used for the development of rural areas of the state. But the BJP-led central government kept denying Punjab its money, and now on top of that, this rabi season they reduced market fees and robbed Punjab of another Rs 250 crore,” Mann added.

The Centre has been paying Punjab the statutory charges (RDF and MDF) to the tune of 6 per cent on minimum support price (MSP) of wheat and paddy at the rate of three per cent each.

The state procures wheat and paddy to the tune of roughly Rs 66,000 Crore per year. It gets Rs 3,600 crore on account of RDF and MDF annually by levying it at the rate of three per cent each.