Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Tuesday made it clear that the State Government had already waived the market fee and the Rural Development Fee on the Basmati variety of paddy, and there was no question of backtracking on this decision.
Reacting to reports regarding annulment of this decision by the Punjab Mandi Board for the purpose of processing in the State, Badal asked the Financial Commissioner Development (FCD) Suresh Kumar to enquire into the entire matter. The Chief Minister has asked the FCD to accordingly fix the responsibility of the concerned officer or official involved for this lapse.
Badal has also directed the FCD to immediately issue instructions to all market committees to ensure strict compliance of the decision in the right earnest. The Chief Minister had taken this initiative to give impetus to the Basmati cultivation and its export as a part of State’s ambitious crop diversification program and on September 14, the Punjab Government had already issued notification for waiving off the Rural Development Fee (RDF) and Market Fee on the Basmati variety of paddy for the purpose of processing in the State.