Shivraj Chouhan’s RDF remark ‘A Betrayal of Punjab farmers’: Harpal Cheema
Punjab Govt Raised RDF Issue Repeatedly, Centre Still Withholding ₹9,821 Crore: Harpal Cheema
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, August 14, 2026: Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Friday accused the BJP-led Central Government of withholding ₹9,821 crore in Rural Development Fund (RDF) dues and strongly criticised Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s statement that no minister from Punjab had approached the Centre for the release of the funds.
Cheema termed Chouhan’s statement “irresponsible and misleading” and said the Punjab Government had repeatedly raised the issue with the Centre through meetings, letters and various official forums.
Addressing a press conference, Cheema said he and Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak met Union Minister Prahlad Joshi on November 28, 2024, seeking the release of Punjab’s RDF dues. He said Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also raised the issue with Joshi on July 17.
Cheema further said he met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on January 10, following which Mann met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 17. Mann again raised the issue with Joshi on April 10, while Cheema said he met Sitharaman again on June 30 to seek the release of the funds.
He added that Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan had also written to the Centre regarding the matter and that the issue was raised during GST Council meetings.
Cheema said he sent another official communication to the Government of India on March 14, 2026, seeking the release of the outstanding RDF. He claimed that Prahlad Joshi had assured the Punjab Government that he would take up the matter with Amit Shah and Sitharaman.
Questioning the Centre over the pending amount, Cheema said ₹9,821 crore in RDF was outstanding to Punjab. He stated that under the existing arrangement, 3% RDF is payable on wheat and paddy procured by the Centre at the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
Responding to the Centre’s earlier concerns over alleged misuse of RDF, Cheema claimed that misuse had taken place during the previous Akali-BJP government. He said the AAP government amended the law in 2022 to ensure that RDF funds would be used only for improving mandis and rural roads.
Cheema accused the BJP-led Centre of betraying Punjab’s farmers and the common people by withholding the funds and said the state government would continue to raise the issue with the Centre.