Recover environmental compensation from farmers: Administration to officials

Amritsar, November 29

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Even as the district administration has imposed an environmental penalty of nearly Rs 25 lakh on farmers, who flouted the ban on burning of crop residue, officials have so far recovered an amount of

Rs 1.07 lakh only.

Apart from registering FIRs and filing court cases, the district administration had imposed environmental compensation as per the guidelines of National Green Tribunal (NGT). At a meeting with officials of the administration, Revenue and Agriculture Departments and the Punjab Pollution Control Board, Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Harpreet Singh asked them to monitor the process of recovery of the environmental compensation.

Ordering to expedite the recovery of penalty, the ADC told officials that the Supreme Court was keeping a close watch on the action taken by the state government against violators. He said the recovered amount would be deposited in the government treasury and a report would be sent to the government so that it could be presented in the court when demanded.

Though the district administration had imposed penalty on all farmers, it would be a difficult for officials to recover the amount from them. Farmer unions had already expressed displeasure against the move reasoning that farmers were being victimised. Unions said instead of punishing farmers, the government should find a viable alternative for the management of the crop residue.

The district had reported a total of 1,573 farm fires during this paddy harvesting season. Now, as the harvesting season is over, a majority of farmers have sown wheat crop. The district has reported no new crop residue burning case for the last five days.