Haryana offers Rs 1K/ acre more to farmers

Chandigarh, November 11

Haryana will give farmers an additional amount of Rs 1,000 per acre as operational charges for in situ and ex situ management of their paddy stubble besides providing them Rs 100 per quintal of non-basmati paddy for not burning stubble, which was decided last week.

The operational cost of Rs 1,000 per acre will also be applicable on paddy variety “1401-Muchhal”. Both benefits are applicable for small and marginal farmers only.

Besides, the government has assigned duties to five administrative secretary-level officers to monitor the payment of incentives in major paddy producing districts of Kaithal, Fatehabad, Sirsa, Jind and Hisar. For the in situ management, the paddy stubble is cut on the fields and left there to decompose while the next crop is sown. The ex situ method involves putting the cut stubble into bales and transporting them to units where they are utilised. Normally, paper mills, cardboard mills, sugar mills use the stubble or some industries use it to run their boilers.

Sanjeev Kaushal, Additional Chief Secretary, Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department, Haryana, said DCs in every district have appointed one nodal officer per village for management of stubble burning and proper implementation of in situ and ex situ management.

“Every nodal officer will be responsible for non-burning of paddy stubble in one’s respective village,” said Kaushal. The incentives will be given to only those farmers who have sold their paddy after November 6, 2019, and will be selling their paddy till November 15 in the mandis.

He said the Haryana State Agriculture Marketing Board would devise a mechanism to obtain an undertaking from the farmers who have sold their paddy in mandis and this data will be verified in the districts.

After verification of the data, the farmers’ incentive will be released within seven days. The grievances regarding incentives will be inquired into by the subdivisional magistrates in their respective areas.

Compensation for not burning straw

• In addition to Rs 100 per quintal of non-basmati paddy, state to give farmers an additional Rs 1,000 per acre for stubble management
• Five administrative secretary-level officers to monitor incentive payment