Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema has declared the statement made by Union Cabinet Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan that “no minister from Punjab ever contacted the Centre for the money under the Rural Development Fund (RDF)” as highly irresponsible, misleading and a blatant lie. The Finance Minister said that BJP leaders are experts at lying and distort every fact before presenting it to the public. He made it clear that the Punjab Government has continuously raised the issue of RDF funds before the Central Government at every possible platform.

Addressing a press conference and detailing the repeated efforts made by the Punjab Government, Finance Minister Harpal Cheema said, “On November 28, 2024, I, along with Cabinet Minister Lal Chand Kataruchak, met Union Minister Prahlad Joshi and demanded the release of Punjab’s Rural Development Fund (RDF) money. On July 17, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann met Prahlad Joshi and reiterated the same demand.”

He continued, “On January 10, I met Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, following which CM Bhagwant Singh Mann met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on January 17. On April 10, the Chief Minister again met Union Consumer Affairs and Food Minister Prahlad Joshi, and on June 30, I once again requested Nirmala Sitharaman to release the funds.”

Highlighting that the demand had been raised through multiple forums, the Finance Minister added, “Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan also wrote a letter to the Central Government conveying this demand. The issue was also raised before Nirmala Sitharaman during meetings of the GST Council and was discussed in detail during the GST Council meeting in August 2025.”

“More recently, on March 14, 2026, I sent an official letter to the Government of India demanding the release of Punjab’s outstanding RDF funds. Union Minister Prahlad Joshi himself had assured us that he would hold a meeting with Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman to secure Punjab’s legitimate legal right. Despite this, neither have the funds been released nor has any positive step been taken,” he further added.

Questioning the Centre over the outstanding amount, the Finance Minister stated, “It is surprising that a senior Union Minister who has served as the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh is misleading the people of Punjab. A total of ₹9,821 crore of RDF is outstanding to Punjab from the Central Government. The Government of India procures wheat and paddy at MSP (Minimum Support Price), on which 3 percent RDF money is to be provided as per the rules.”

He continued, “The Central Government earlier used to talk about misuse of funds, whereas the truth is that the misuse took place during the previous Akali BJP government. The Aam Aadmi Party Government, in 2022, duly amended the law and stipulated that RDF money would be spent only on improving farmers’ mandis and rural roads.”

Calling out the BJP led Central Government for betraying Punjab, Minister Harpal Singh Cheema asserted, “The BJP led Central Government has committed a major betrayal of Punjab’s farmers and common people. Now, to hide its failures, Union Ministers are resorting to misleading propaganda. The people of Punjab are highly aware and know very well that the BJP has continuously been working against the interests of Punjab and Punjabis.”

As India celebrates its 80th Independence Day, freedom from the fear of an unaffordable medical emergency is emerging as an important measure of public welfare. In Punjab, the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana (MMSY) provides cashless treatment of up to ₹10 lakh per family per year and has recorded more than six lakh treatments over the past seven months.

State Health Agency data show that 26,18,712 beneficiaries have been enrolled against a reported eligible base of 69,12,697 families. So far, 3,02,906 patients have received treatment, accounting for 6,06,892 treatments and 15,267 procedures. The scheme has 880 empanelled hospitals, with the reported average claim value standing at ₹14,628.04.

On this occasion, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr. Balbir Singh said, “From dialysis to cancer care, Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana crosses six lakh treatments in Punjab. The scale of utilisation is particularly visible in critical and high-cost healthcare. Chronic haemodialysis accounts for 1,99,417 treatments, while 60,504 cancer cases and 1,85,220 emergency cases have also been recorded.”

Additionally, cardiac care remains a major component. The data records 10,428 PTCA procedures, including diagnostic angiography, involving expenditure of ₹100 crore. CABG accounted for 611 treatments and approximately ₹8.20 crore, while 507 pacemaker procedures involved about ₹6.79 crore.

Orthopaedic treatment has also seen substantial utilisation, with 11,796 total knee replacements involving expenditure of ₹94.89 crore. The scheme recorded 1,092 total hip replacements costing ₹10.75 crore, along with more than 2,200 fracture fixation procedures. Cancer treatment accounted for approximately ₹159.41 crore across 60,504 reported cases, while dialysis expenditure stood at ₹33.14 crore for 2,02,793 reported cases.

The scheme’s reach extends across public and private hospitals. Private facilities handled 3,36,161 cases, compared with 2,70,731 cases in government hospitals. Reported expenditure stood at ₹614.08 crore and ₹479.85 crore respectively.

District-level figures show varying patterns of utilisation. Patiala recorded the highest number of patients treated at 28,977, followed by Bathinda with 23,446, Ludhiana with 22,620 and Jalandhar with 20,193. Bathinda recorded the highest expenditure at ₹200 crore, followed by Patiala at ₹100 crore, Amritsar at ₹99.23 crore and Jalandhar at ₹91.30 crore.

*Behind the numbers, the beneficiaries*

The statistics show the scale of the scheme, but beneficiary experiences show what access to cashless healthcare can mean for families. Sandeep Kaur, who received treatment for gallbladder and spine-related conditions, said the treatment has helped her return to a better life “After successful treatment, I am much better than before. I am living my life with new hope,” she said.

For Nishi Gupta, who is undergoing breast cancer treatment, the Health Card has provided relief from the financial pressure associated with prolonged care. “With the Health Card, my breast cancer treatment has started free of cost and is continuing without any expense. This has brought great relief to me and my family,” she said.

For Hakam Singh of Patiala, the scheme proved crucial during a sudden cardiac emergency. Recalling the onset of his symptoms, he said, “I suddenly had pain in my chest.” After receiving free treatment for his heart condition, Hakam Singh thanked the government for the support and said he can now live a happier life.

Another beneficiary, Gurcharan Singh, described the financial fear that can accompany serious illness in even more direct terms: “We would have just died thinking about where we would get the money from,” he said.

For beneficiaries like these, the value of cashless healthcare goes beyond the amount spent by the government. It represents money their families did not have to arrange at a time when their priority was survival and recovery.

As the nation marks Independence Day, Punjab’s Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana figures offer another way of looking at public welfare, not simply through the number of people covered, but through the number of people able to access critical treatment when they need it most.