Dr. Sandeep Pathak, Member of Parliament from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Punjab, raised the issue of withheld funds for the state in Parliament on Monday. Dr. Pathak appealed to the central government to promptly release the pending funds for Punjab, which have been blocked in an improper manner. He emphasized that funds owed to the people of Punjab should be released immediately.
Dr. Pathak stated that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the center has held back several funds meant for Punjab, denying the people of their rightful resources. He urged the central government to release the pending Rural Development Fund (RDF) of Rs 5,500 crores at the earliest. This fund is crucial for the construction and maintenance of roads in Punjab’s mandis and rural areas.
Highlighting the misuse of the RDF in the past by previous governments, which led to its discontinuation by the central government, Dr. Pathak mentioned that the new Punjab government has enacted laws to ensure that this fund is now exclusively utilized for mandis and rural roads. Therefore, he stressed the urgency of the Modi government releasing this fund without any further delay.
Dr. Pathak also brought attention to the pending funds under the National Health Mission (NHM), amounting to Rs 621 crores. Despite Punjab’s need for this fund for drugs, medical equipment, and support for tehsil and district government hospitals, the central government has been reluctant, claiming it is not intended for public clinics. Dr. Pathak clarified that NHM funds for public clinics in Punjab are separate, and he criticized the unjustifiable withholding of these funds.
Additionally, he highlighted the central government’s reluctance to release Rs 850 crores under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and Rs 1,800 crores under the Special Assistance Fund. Dr. Pathak asserted that the total amounts to a substantial Rs 8,000 crores, owed to Punjab and its people. He appealed to the central government to expedite the release of these funds, warning that if the Modi government continues to deny Punjab its rightful dues, legal action may be the only recourse.
