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News18
3 days ago
- Business
- News18
Punjab Governor Meets Union Civil Aviation Minister To Discuss Enhanced Connectivity At Chandigarh Airport
According to an official release, during the meeting, the Governor discussed the need to strengthen both domestic and international air connectivity from Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport in Chandigarh, given the growing demand from residents of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the UT of Chandigarh. He highlighted that Chandigarh Airport serves as a crucial gateway for the entire northern region, especially for the people of Punjab and the adjoining areas. Kataria emphasised that enhanced connectivity, particularly direct international flights, would significantly boost tourism, facilitate business travel, and support the economic aspirations of the region. The Union Minister assured that the Ministry would actively explore possibilities and work with all stakeholders, including airlines and airport operators, to improve connectivity and upgrade passenger facilities at the airport. The meeting marked a constructive step towards strengthening the aviation infrastructure and expanding Chandigarh's global and domestic reach. Earlier on Wednesday, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann sought the intervention of Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi for the release of the state's pending share of over Rs 9,000 crore related to the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and Market Fees. According to a Punjab government release, during a meeting at the Minister's residence, the Chief Minister raised the issue of non-allowance of RDF since KMS 2021-22 and insufficient allowance of Market Fees since RMS 2022-23. The Chief Minister emphasised that the purpose of RDF is to promote agriculture and rural infrastructure, including the development of rural roads, marketing infrastructure, storage facilities in mandis, and automation and mechanisation of mandis. He said that despite amending the Punjab Rural Development Act, 1987, in accordance with the Department of Food & Public Distribution (DFPD) guidelines, the RDF has not been released since KMS 2021-22.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Punjab seeks Centre's intervention on airport connectivity, rural development funds, ETInfra
Advt Chief Minister flags ₹9,000 crore dues with Union Food Minister By , ETInfra Punjab Governor Gulab Chand Kataria on Friday met Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu in New Delhi and urged the Centre to enhance air connectivity from Chandigarh's Shaheed Bhagat Singh International Airport As per ANI, Kataria highlighted the need to strengthen both domestic and international flight operations from the airport, citing demand from residents of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and the Union Territory of said the airport functions as a key transit point for the wider northern region and that additional direct international connections would help facilitate business travel, tourism, and regional economic Union Minister assured that the Ministry would consider the suggestions and coordinate with airlines and airport operators to explore connectivity options and passenger service Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann met Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi on Wednesday, seeking the release of the state's pending share under the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and Market Fees, amounting to over ₹9,000 crore.A Punjab government release said Mann raised concerns over the non-allowance of RDF since Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021–22 and reduced allocation of Market Fees since Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2022– said RDF is intended to support agriculture and rural infrastructure such as roads, storage facilities, and mandi automation. Despite amendments to the Punjab Rural Development Act, 1987, in line with the Department of Food and Public Distribution's guidelines, the dues remain said ₹7,737.27 crore under RDF and ₹1,836.62 crore under Market Fees are pending with the Centre.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- Indian Express
RDF, Market Fees: Mann knocks Joshi door for Punjab's share of Rs 9,000 cr, arhtiya commission
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday urged Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi to intervene and help release state's pending share of over Rs 9,000 crore related to the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and market fees. Mann, who called on Joshi, raised the issue of non-allowance of RDF since Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22 and insufficient allowance of market fees since Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2022-23. 'The purpose of RDF is to promote agriculture and rural infrastructure, including the development of rural roads, marketing infrastructure, storage facilities in mandis, and automation and mechanization of mandis,' Mann told the minister, as per an official statement. The chief minister said that despite amending the Punjab Rural Development Act, 1987, in accordance with the Department of Food & Public Distribution guidelines, the Punjab's share in RDF has not been released since KMS 2021-22. 'Rs 7,737.27 crore under RDF and Rs 1,836.62 crore under market fees are yet to be released by the Centre. This non-reimbursement has severely impacted the development and maintenance of rural infrastructure and the rural economy in the state,' Mann told the Union minister. He also highlighted the persistent shortage of covered storage space in the state over the past two years. During KMS 2023-24, he said that the shortage of space led to the extension of the delivery period for milled rice up to September 30, 2024. Mann said that this caused concern among millers during the last Kharif season, making them initially reluctant to lift and store paddy, adding that the issue was later resolved with the cooperation of central government. The CM said that for KMS 2024-25, out of 117 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice to be delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI), only around 107 LMT had been delivered by June 30, 2025. He said that only 80 LMT of rice has been moved out of the state in the last 12 months. He further said that although FCI had planned to move 14 LMT in June 2025, only 8.5 LMT was actually lifted. The Punjab CM stressed the need for the movement of at least 15 LMT of rice in July 2025 to complete milling by July 31. He said that delays may trigger unrest among millers and hinder paddy procurement for KMS 2025-26. To optimize storage, he urged the Union minister to adopt a proactive approach to identifying, approving, and hiring covered godown. Mann said that a strategy of converting covered godowns of wheat to rice needs to be implemented. This strategy could free up 7 LMT of capacity for rice storage in KMS 2025-?26, he said, adding that this model be adopted nationwide to mitigate space shortages. Raising the issue of 'arhtiya' commission, the chief minister said that the Union government had de-linked the commission from MSP in Kharif season 2020-21, fixing it at Rs 45.88 per quintal for paddy and Rs 46 per quintal for wheat. He said that these rates have remained unchanged, although Punjab Agriculture Marketing Board bylaws stipulate a 2.5% commission on MSP, which translates to 59.72/quintal for the upcoming Kharif season. He urged the Union Minister to revise the commission to prevent hardships for farmers and avert potential unrest in this sensitive border state. After the meeting, Union minister Joshi in a post on X said, '…Discussions related to farmers welfare and food grain procurement were held.' He said that issues revolved around rice procurement from Punjab, optimal use of covered storage godowns and approval of private godowns under the FCI. 'Have directed the department to look at the issues and take necessary actions. The Central Government remains firmly committed to the welfare of Punjab's farmers and to ensuring a transparent, efficient, and farmer-friendly procurement system,' Joshi said.
The Print
5 days ago
- Business
- The Print
CM Mann urges Union food minister to release Punjab's share of Rs 9,000 crore under RDF, market fees
Mann raised the issue of non-allowance of RDF since Kharif Marketing Season (KMS) 2021-22 and insufficient allowance of market fees since Rabi Marketing Season (RMS) 2022-23. During a meeting at Joshi's residence here, the chief minister also requested for quick movement of rice grains from the state to enable space for the current season. New Delhi, Jul 16 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Wednesday sought the intervention of Union Food Minister Pralhad Joshi for the release of state's pending share of over Rs 9,000 crore related to the Rural Development Fund (RDF) and market fees. He emphasized that the purpose of RDF is to promote agriculture and rural infrastructure, including the development of rural roads, marketing infrastructure, storage facilities in mandis, and automation and mechanization of mandis. The chief minister said that despite amending the Punjab Rural Development Act, 1987, in accordance with the Department of Food & Public Distribution guidelines, the Punjab's share in RDF has not been released since KMS 2021-22. Mann stated that Rs 7,737.27 crore under RDF and Rs 1,836.62 crore under market fees are yet to be released by the Centre, a Punjab government's statement said. The chief minister noted that this non-reimbursement has severely impacted the development and maintenance of rural infrastructure and the rural economy in the state. He also highlighted the persistent shortage of covered storage space in the state over the past two years. During KMS 2023-24, he said that the shortage of space led to the extension of the delivery period for milled rice up to September 30, 2024. Mann said that this caused concern among millers during the last Kharif season, making them initially reluctant to lift and store paddy, adding that the issue was later resolved with the cooperation of central government. The chief minister said that for KMS 2024-25, out of 117 lakh metric tonnes (LMT) of rice to be delivered to the Food Corporation of India (FCI), only around 107 LMT had been delivered by June 30, 2025. Mann said that only 80 LMT of rice has been moved out of the state in the last 12 months. He further said that although FCI had planned to move 14 LMT in June 2025, only 8.5 LMT was actually lifted. The chief minister stressed the need for the movement of at least 15 LMT of rice in July 2025 to complete milling by July 31. He said that delays may trigger unrest among millers and hinder paddy procurement for KMS 2025-26, . To optimize storage, he urged the Union minister to adopt a proactive approach to identifying, approving, and hiring covered godown. Mann said that a strategy of converting covered godowns of wheat to rice needs to be implemented. This strategy could free up 7 LMT of capacity for rice storage in KMS 2025-26, he said, adding that this model be adopted nationwide to mitigate space shortages. Raising the issue of 'arthia' (agent) commission, the chief minister said that the Union government had de-linked the commission from MSP in Kharif season 2020-21. PTI SKC KVK KVK This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
The Herald
6 days ago
- The Herald
Operations resume at Pollsmoor prison after stabbing, two-week lockdown
Operations at Pollsmoor prison in Cape Town are back to normal after a two-week lockdown triggered by the stabbing of a prison warder by an inmate on June 27, the department of correctional services (DCS) has confirmed. DCS spokesperson Singabakho Nxumalo said the incident at the remand detention facility (RDF) prompted the immediate suspension of visitations and restricted access to the prison as officials worked to stabilise the situation. The lockdown was necessary to help manage the incident and assist the investigation. 'The lockdown serves as a practical approach to aid the department in monitoring the situation and to assist with the investigation which is under way,' he said. While the RDF was affected, Nxumalo clarified that operations at the medium A, medium B, medium C and female centre were not disrupted.
