Farmers Movement Archive

Punjab receives ₹235 crore from Centre for paddy stubble management

Punjab government has received a sum of ₹235 crore from the Centre for management of paddy stubble ahead of the harvest season set to begin in October. Burning of stubble by paddy growers of Haryana, western Uttar Pradesh and Punjab is a cause of environmental and health concern as the entire region, particularly National Capital Delhi, gets covered with smog at the onset of winter due to this menace. The state agriculture department plans to provide crop residue management (CRM) machines to farmers at subsidised rates with the funds received from the Centre. “We had planned to give 40,000 machines on subsidy but there is a dearth of funds, we have cut down the number to 25, 000,” said Manmohan Kalia, the department’s nodal officer for CRM. This is the third consecutive year when the Centre is providing the state funds for CRM. Three years ago, it was decided to sanction funds for CRM after the PMOs intervention. The state has received a sum of ₹810 crore as CRM funds in the last three years (2018 to 2020). The farmers are provided several machines, including super shredder, happy seeder, reverse plough, zero till drill, bailer, super SMS and mulcher, for in-situ management of stubble. This year, the department has received applications for 50,000 machines from individual farmers as well as groups such as cooperative agriculture societies, village panchayats and farmer producer organisations (FPOs). At least 385 applications were received from farmer groups. While the groups will get a subsidy of 80%, individual farmers will get 50% subsidy. “Each group will get subsidy for 10 machines and are on our priority for supplying machines,” added Kalia. Hot spot districts Majority of the stubble burning cases are reported from the villages in Patiala, Mansa, Moga, Bathinda, Ferozepur, Barnala, Tarn Taran, Sangrur and Muktsar, which have been classified as hotspot districts. Out of the total ₹235 crore received from the Centre, ₹10 crore will go for publicity campaigns in these districts. There was a spurt in stubble fires in the kharif season in 2020, with the Punjab remote sensing centre detecting at least 73,833 fires between September 21 to November 14. Other than the shortage of machines, anger amongst the peasantry against the three farm bills passed by the Centre in September is said to be the reason behind the spike last year. In May this year, the Punjab government had sought funds for 70,000 more machines for in-situ management. In an action plan sent to the Centre’s ministry of environment, last week, the state government had submitted a three-year road map, seeking ₹873 crore to distribute one lakh machines to the state’s farmers for in-situ management. Taking the plea that in three years, the machines given on subsidy to farmers could help in crop residue management of only 60 lakh tonne paddy straw, more machines were sought. ‘76,590 machines given in 3 years insufficient’ The number of machines (76,590) given to the farmers in the last three years (2018-2020) are insufficient to deal with stubble burning menace, department officials said. “The window between paddy harvest and wheat sowing is short so stubble can’t be managed with the machines available,” said Kalia, adding that as per estimates, 70,000 more machines are required. A total of 220 lakh tonne of stubble is produced along with the paddy. The biomass power generating plants in the state consume 50 lakh tonnes of stubble. Of the remaining 170 lakh tonne, 100 lakh tonne goes unmanaged, and majority of the farmers prefer to burn it.

Hindustan Times

03-07-2021

Chandigarh