New Delhi

Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Friday met Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to press for immediate settlement of the Rs.31,000 crore of Food Account on procurement of Wheat and Paddy, which was wrongly taken over by the erstwhile government. Seeking Jaitley’s intervention in the matter, the Chief Minister said the Rs.31,000 crore amount, which included Rs.12000 crore principal and the Rs. 19000 interest on it, was to be adjusted between the state and central governments, which the SAD-led state government had instead taking over.
The sum was on account of non-adjustment of accounts for procurement done by state agencies for FCI from 2003-2004 onwards. Pointing out that he had been pursuing the matter since taking over as Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder said it was now pending for decision with the Union Finance Ministry. Noting that the State was already facing an annual interest payment liability of Rs. 3240 crore, he said the total payoff might touch Rs. 65000 Crore over a 20 year payment period, which was totally untenable for the state.

Responding to the Chief Minister’s concerns, Jaitley said he would get the matter thoroughly examined and settled expeditiously. He asked the Chief Minister to send a high-level team of state officers led by Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal to discuss the entire matter with him.