Punjab News/CM firm on market fee/RDF exemption on basmati; no question on going back on this decision

Chandigarh, December 10, 2013: Taking cognizance of the news reports in a section of press regarding the annulment of  Market Fee waiver on the Basmati variety of Paddy by the Punjab Mandi Board for the purpose of processing in the state, the Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today categorically said that the state government had already waived the market fee/ Rural Development fee and there was no question of backtracking on this decision.
Disclosing this here today a spokesperson of the Chief Minister’s Office said that, Badal asked the Financial Commissioner Development (FCD) Suresh Kumar to enquire into the entire matter and accordingly fix the responsibility of the concerned officer/ official involved for this lapse. He directed the FCD to immediately issue instructions to all the market committees to ensure strict compliance of the decision in the right earnest.
It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had taken this path breaking 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 this year 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. / punjab news live, punjab news online, punjab news, punjab news headlines, punjab breaking news, india news, punjab news