Bhagwant Mann On Stubble Burning: As the issue of stubble burning in north Indian states including Haryana and Punjab heats up ahead of the winter season, a war of words has erupted with leaders across party lines trading blames on each other. Now, Punjab Chief Minister waded in on Friday, calling for a “practical solution” from the Central government to the burning issue. He also sought compensation for the farmers, which could be an alternative to the crop procurement.
Mann stated that the farmers don’t even want to cultivate paddy, but MSP is not available on an alternative crop, which makes them burn the stubble, which ultimately worsens the air quality.
While speaking on the issue, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that if he can stop the Ukraine war, then can he not stop the smoke here in the state?
“The issue of stubble burning is not limited to any one state. It is the issue of the whole of Northern India. If PM Modi can stop the Ukraine war like they showed in the ad, can they not stop the smoke here? He should make all the states sit together, give compensation, and call scientists. The farmers don’t want to burn stubble. The farmers don’t even want to cultivate paddy, but MSP is not available on an alternative crop,” Mann said.
“When the paddy is produced, the farmers are praised, but what about the stubble? Then they want to charge a fine… We don’t know if Punjab’s smoke reaches Delhi or not, but the smoke harms the farmer and his village first,” the Punjab CM further stated.
“We have been asking for compensation to stop the burning, but they (centre) have been asking us to encourage the farmers against it… Encouragement does not work; practical steps need to be taken,” Mann said.
The Punjab CM asserted that the Punjab government has been requesting the Central government to provide compensation to the farmers, but in response, the Centre is urging them to encourage the farmers to stop the stubble burning. He also informed that the state government has given 1.25 lakh machines to the farmers, and as a result, out of 75 lakh hectares of paddy crop, stubble of 40 lakhs is not burnt, he said as per the NGOs.
Mann’s remarks come hours after the Haryana government, in an official order, stated that, as per the directions of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), FIR should be registered against all farmers who burn or have burnt paddy crop residue during the current season from 15 September 2024. The Nayab Singh Saini government has taken stringent steps in a bid to prevent farmers from burning the stubble.
“A red entry should be made in the Meri Fasal Mera Bayora (MFMB) record of farmers who are found involved in paddy crop residue burning, which will restrict the farmers from selling their crops in the mandis through the e-Kharid portal during the next two seasons,” said a notice by the Haryana Government.
The Haryana CM heaped praise for the farmers of his state for following the orders of the government and not getting involved in burning the stubble. “The farmers of Haryana are aware, and I congratulate them because they were also praised by the Supreme Court. If a farmer burns stubble, then we will make him understand. We are also providing instruments at subsidy… Our farmers are very aware, and they will not do anything like this,” Saini said.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court summoned the Chief Secretaries of the Punjab and Haryana governments and asked them to explain why legal action against stubble burning in the states was not taken. A bench of Justices Abhay S. Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, and Augustine George Masih slammed both states while noting that not a single prosecution had taken place against stubble burning incidents.
(With ANI Inputs)
