Action against farmers legal? HC to examine

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 16

Amid an uproar on implementing the ban on stubble-burning, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has made clear its intent to examine the legality of coercive steps against farmers.

“This court shall consider on the next date of hearing whether coercive measures, if any, being taken against the farmers are as per law,” Justice Rajan Gupta ruled.

The assertion, on a petition filed by the Bharatiya Kisan Union and another petitioner, comes at a time when harvesting has begun on 29 lakh hectares in Punjab. No less than 19.7 million tonnes of paddy stubble is likely to be generated. As of now, stalemate continues between government and farmers on the matter.

As the petition came up for hearing, petitioner’s counsel Charanpal Singh Bagri sought issuance of directions to the respondents to pay adequate per-acre compensation to farmers, as orders by the state government had restrained them from burning paddy stubble.

Bagri told the Justice Gupta’s Bench that farmers burning paddy straw were fined Rs2,500 to Rs15,000. Criminal action was also initiated. Besides, revenue record of farmers was marked in red.

The state policy was, as such, resulting in oppression of farmers and discouraging them from paddy cultivation. Bagri submitted that paddy straw remained in the field and decayed if it was not burnt.

He told the Bench that the Punjab and Haryana High Court and the Delhi High Court had laid down guidelines for the state governments to avoid a “situation where farmers were not able to carry out agricultural activity”.

Taking note of the assertions, the Bench issued a notice of motion to the Centre and other respondents.