PM Modi to chair NITI Aayog meeting, Punjab’s multi-crore dues high on Opposition agenda

Animesh Singh

New Delhi, July 17

The Punjab Government’s long-pending demand of release of pending amount of the Rural Development Fund (RDF) worth Rs 6,500 crore from the Centre is among the key issues likely to come up during the meeting of the NITI Aayog’s governing council, to be chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 27. The theme of the meeting will be the ways to achieve the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

According to sources, buoyed by its increased presence in the Lok Sabha after the General Election, Chief Ministers of nine INDIA bloc-ruled states, including Delhi, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, are likely to pressure the government to review the three criminal laws, which came into force on July 1.

Significantly as the governing council meeting is attended by the CMs and L-Gs, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s absence will be in sharp focus, as he is currently in jail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

The sources said the CMs of the opposition-ruled states are likely to seek a response from the PM as to how the goal of ‘Viksit Bharat’ will be achieved by 2047, especially if the states’ dues are not released on time by the Centre.

With ample representation of opposition-ruled states, the meeting may witness stormy scenes. The INDIA bloc-ruled states are Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Karnataka, Telangana, Jharkhand, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

The AAP-led Punjab Government has been consistently raising the RDF issue with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann having even alleged last year that the Centre was “unnecessarily harassing” the state by stalling the release of the pending amount.

He had alleged that despite the state government having completed all formalities, the Centre was deliberately not releasing the funds to it. He has in the past also hinted at the possibility of moving a court to seek the release of RDF dues.

Meanwhile, a meeting of resident commissioners of all states will be held on July 18, where the agenda and preparations for the July 27 governing council meeting will be discussed. Thursday’s meeting will be chaired by the think tank’s vice-chairman Suman Bery.

A vision document is being prepared for India to become a developed economy of $30 trillion by 2047, the 100th year of its Independence.

In 2023, the Aayog was given the task of consolidating the 10 sectoral thematic visions into a combined vision for ‘Viksit Bharat’ plan. The vision encompasses various aspects of development, including growth, social progress, environmental sustainability and good governance, among others.

Mann raised issue

• The AAP-led Punjab Government has frequently raised the issue of non-release of the Rural Development Fund to the state
• Last year, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had alleged that the Centre was “unnecessarily harassing” the state by stalling the release of dues