Chandigarh, Nov 2 (IANS) Addressing the rising incidents of stubble burning in Punjab, former Punjab BJP President Avinash Rai Khanna on Monday criticised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, stating that registering first information reports (FIRs) against farmers, imposing fines, and making ‘red entries’ in their land records “is in no way a solution to the problem”.
Instead of taking action against farmers, the government should understand their difficulties and address their concerns. He said that as cases of stubble burning “continue to emerge across the state, it is the government’s responsibility to ensure that farmers are provided with the necessary machinery, subsidies, diesel and financial assistance on time for proper stubble management”.
“Adequate arrangements should be made at the village level to provide small and marginal farmers with access to balers, Happy Seeders, Super Seeders and other agricultural equipment on a rental basis,” Khanna said in a statement here.
He said that the farmers “are already struggling with the rising cost of cultivation, increasing agricultural expenses and natural calamities.
Imposing additional financial burdens through fines and initiating police action against them under such circumstances is unfortunate”.
He urged the government to hold discussions with farmers’ organisations and find a practical solution to the problem. Instead of penalising farmers, the government should provide them with the necessary facilities and encourage them to adopt effective methods of stubble management.
A day earlier, a high-level Team of the Commission for Air Quality Management in NCR and Adjoining Areas (CAQM) reviewed paddy straw management measures in Sangrur, Patiala and Malerkotla districts in Punjab.
The CAQM officials asked departments concerned to continue making concerted efforts with close monitoring of stubble burning incidents.
The team advised officers to ensure effective paddy stubble management as committed by them in the actions.
The actions on the ground should match targets undertaken by them, said an official statement. The team visited an ex-situ paddy stubble utilisation facility, a duplex board and paper making unit in Malerkotla, which uses paddy straw as fuel in its boiler.
The representatives of the industry informed that about 17,000 MT of paddy straw would be utilised in its boiler furnace on an annual basis.
–IANS
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