Centre: No subsidy, Punjab didn’t use Rs 97 cr for crop residue mgmt

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 10

The Centre and states today sparred over smog, with the “public health” emergency looming large.

While Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh again knocked at the doors of PM Narendra Modi to seek compensation for stubble burning, the Agriculture Ministry released details of funds released to Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh — putting the onus of dealing with the problem entirely on them.

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Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh rejected the demand for subsidy on management of crop residue and as per the data released by his ministry, Punjab did not use a single rupee of Rs 49.08 crore and Rs 48.50 crore released for crop residue management under the Sub-Mission on Agriculture Mechanisation in 2016-17 and 2017-18, respectively.

Haryana used Rs 39 crore of the Rs 45 crore allotted and Rajasthan Rs 3 crore of Rs 9 crore in 2017-18. Uttar Pradesh used the entire allocation.

Meanwhile, Union Minister Mahesh Sharma sparred with the AAP-led Delhi government, questioning the rationale behind the odd-even scheme that also invited rebuke from the National Green Tribunal. The NGT said it would not allow its implementation until the state government proved its efficacy. “The SC never said implement the odd-even scheme. It was only one of the directions by EPCA. You have not followed 99 directions,” it said.

Old Cars off UP roads

UP has decided to withdraw four lakh cars in eight districts of NCR adjoining Delhi. Petrol-run four-wheelers more than 15 years old and diesel-run vehicles which had run for 10 years will be seized. Ghaziabad, Meerut, Muzaffarnagar, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Bulandshahr, Shamli, Baghpat and Hapur are covered.