punjab

Updated: Oct 05, 2018 11:27 IST

The authorities in Amritsar and Tarn Taran districts have started taking strict action against farmers indulging in stubble burning.

Police have booked four farmers in Tarn Taran while the administration imposed an aggregate fine of Rs 57,500 on 22 farmers in Amritsar, who set their paddy crop residue on fire.

Those who have been booked are Daljit Singh, Ram Singh, Kanwaljit Singh and Pal Singh of Pakhoke village, 15 km from Tarn Taran district headquarters.

These farmers have been booked under Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of Indian Penal Code at sadar police station, Tarn Taran, said assistant sub inspector (ASI) Sawinder Singh.

The case has been registered on the complaint of agriculture development officer (ADO-development) of Bagrian circle. The officer stated that these farmers burnt stubble over their 2-acre fields each on Wednesday.

Tarn Taran chief agriculture officer (CAO) Harwinderjit Singh said, “We will register cases against all farmers who will indulge in stubble burning.”

Tarn Taran deputy commissioner (DC) Pardeep Kumar Sabharwal said, “The agriculture department has been providing machines to farmers, through cooperative societies in the villages, for managing their stubble. Farmers must avoid burning stubble.”

Meanwhile, Kisan Sangharash Committee (KSC) state president Kawalpreet Singh Pannu demanded immediate withdrawal of cases registered against the farmers, failing which they will launch a statewide protest.

He said, “The state government has failed to find any effective alternative to stubble burning. Moreover, only 11 machines for managing stubble have been provided in Tarn Taran, which are inadequate.”

He said the state government should give an aid of₹200 per quintal of paddy or ₹6,000 per acre for managing stubble.

Action in Amritsar

The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) has detected 47 cases of stubble burning in Amritsar till Wednesday.

PPCB sub-divisional officer (SDO, Amritsar, Sukhdev Singh, said, “In 22 of the 47 cases, farmers have been penalised and an aggregate fine of Rs 57,500 has been imposed on them. We have already collected Rs 21,000 as fine”.

Man booked for not using straw management system

On the instruction of DC Sabharwal, the Tarn Taran police on Thursday booked a man for not attaching straw management system (SMS) with his combine machine while harvesting paddy crop in Pakhoke village. Sewak Singh of Barnala district was harvesting paddy crop in Pakhoke village.

Hailstorm

Meanwhile, paddy crop over hundreds of acres in five villages of Tarn Taran district has been damaged due to hailstorm on Wednesday night.

These villages are Bhaini Sidhwan, Pakhoke, Shaikh Fatah, Nonai and Jahangir. DC Sabharwal visited these villages on Thursday to assess the damage.

Erring farmers may be barred from fighting rural polls

Meanwhile, rural development and panchayat minister Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa, in a statement, said the state government is considering a proposal to amend the Panchayati Raj Act to make farmers “guilty of stubble burning” ineligible for contesting panchayat polls.