Dept destroys paddy at Valipur Kalan

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 18

Taking a swift action against a farmer for defying the government’s order to sow the paddy after June 20, officials of the Agriculture Department on Monday destroyed the paddy transplanted over half- acre land in Valipur Kalan village, under the ‘Tandarust Punjab’ mission to save groundwater of the state.

Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) Dr Baldev Singh said the department’s field teams have got the information that a farmer, Sarwan Singh, of Valipur Kalan village had sown the paddy over half-acre land before June 20 by ignoring the directives of the Punjab Government.

He said our teams immediately rushed there and destroyed the paddy as per provisions of the Punjab Preservation of Subsoil Water Act, 2009, for transplanting paddy ahead of the official date.

Exhorting the farmers to actively participate in ‘Tandrust Punjab’ mission, he asked the farmers to ensure the transplantation of paddy after the date given by the government which would not only save depleting underground water table but will also preserve the natural sources in Punjab.

He also added that the Agriculture Department was keeping a strict vigil in the district and will ensure no one will be allowed to sow the paddy before June 20. If any farmer sows paddy before the given date his tubewell connection and and government subsidies would be stopped.