CHANDIGARH: Reacting to his Delhi counterpart Arvind

’s letter to him on stubble burning, Punjab Chief Minister

on Wednesday said the situation warranted urgent intervention by the Centre by way of immediate sanction compensation for farmers to check stubble burning. He also rejected Kejriwal’s proposal for a meeting on the issue.

Responding to Kejriwal’s request for a meeting to discuss the issue, Amarinder said any discussion of the chief ministers would serve no meaningful purpose, with the Centre alone equipped to address this grave issue, which had inter-state implications. Since multiple states were involved, any meeting without the central government’s intervention would be inconsequential, he added.

The delay on the part of the Centre to address the problem was costing the northern states heavily, Amarinder lamented.

"In view of the national importance of the issue, the

government should come out with immediate help to the states to resolve the crisis."

Given the seriousness of the situation, it was for the central government to rise to the occasion and come to the rescue of the farmers with financial aid to compensate for stubble management. Like Delhi, Punjab was also suffering as a result of the unbearable effects of smog and pollution, forcing closure of schools and other institutions in many districts and change in timings in others, Amarinder said.

“The situation in Punjab was so serious that a spate of accidents over the past few days due to smog had led to several people getting killed and many injured, he pointed out.

Punjab was helpless in the matter as it could not force or penalise the beleaguered farmers who were trying hard to cope with massive debt burdens and did not have the money to meet the cost of stubble management, Amarinder added.