The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Rajya Sabha member from Punjab Dr Sandeep Kumar Pathak raised an important issue pertaining to Punjab in the parliament on Monday. Dr Pathak appealed to the central government to release all the stopped funds of Punjab and said that by withholding the money of Punjab the central government is doing injustice towards Punjab.
Dr Sandeep Kumar Pathak, addressing the parliament, said that the BJP government of the centre is withholding many funds of Punjab which are right of the people of Punjab and should be released immediately. Dr Pathak said that the Punjab government has 5,500 crores of rupees pending against the centre of RDF (Rural Development Fund), this fund is used to construct and maintain the mandis and rural area roads of Punjab. Previous governments used this fund for other purposes and the central government stopped this fund. But now Punjab has a new government and the Mann government of Punjab has even made new laws to ensure that this money will only be spent for mandis and rural roads. So, the Modi government should release this fund without further delay.
He added that 621 crores of NHM (National Health Mission) funds are also pending and the central government is refusing to release this money saying that it is not for Aam Aadmi Clinics. Pathak told the parliament that NHM fund is not being spent on Aam Aadmi Clinics in Punjab, for that the Punjab government has its own fund, this money is for medicines, medical equipment, tehsil and district government hospitals, so they are withholding it unreasonably.
Apart from this, the central government is also holding on to 850 crores of MDF and 1800 crores of Special Assistance fund. Dr Pathak said that it adds up to the total of around 8,000 crores of rupees and all this money belongs to Punjab and the people of Punjab. He appealed to the central government to release these funds. He said that if the Modi government keep on refusing to give Punjab its money then they’ll have no other option but go to the Supreme Court but Supreme Court already ha about 35,000 pending cases in the matters of State and Centre government so the Modi government should do right by Punjab and its people and release this money so that the works of development can be done and health facilities can be provided without any financial obstacles.
