Piyush Goyal agrees to clear outstanding RDF: Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann

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Union Food and Public Distribution Minister Piyush Goyal has accepted a major demand of Punjab to release Rs 1760 crore outstanding dues under the Rural Development Fund (RDF) after Punjab Chief
Minister Bhagwant Mann took up the matter on Monday, a government statement said.
The Chief Minister said that Goyal asked officials present to expeditiously process the case for release of pending RDF payments for the previous Kharif and Rabi procurement seasons. This would financially benefit the state of Punjab by more than Rs 1700 crores, he said.
During the course of discussion, the Union Minister assured Mann of prompt action on other demands raised by the state government a swell, which would result in a financial benefit of more than Rs 2800 crore for the government annually.
In addition to the Rs 1760 crores RDF payment, the chief minister informed that the Union Minister had also accepted his request to revisit the decision to peg the reimbursement of interest payments to Punjab at the interest rates available to FCI.
He said that the Union Minister understood the stand of Punjab that it would never be able to get loans at interest rates available to FCI, which is backed by the sovereign guarantee of the Union.
The minister asked his officials to assist the state in getting cheaper cash credit limits for the annual procurement of foodgrains. This decision is likely to save the Punjab government an unnecessary financial burden of Rs 1000 crore annually, said the Chief Minister.
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