Subsidise purchase of machines to curb stubble burning, say farmers

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, October 15

Many farmers from various villages of the region had converged here at the DC office on Monday to protest against government’s inability to provide them the required machines for disposing of paddy stubble. The farmers also said the government had failed to transfer subsidy amount of the machines to the farmers.

The agitated farmers stated, although the government had claimed to provide them the subsidy amount for any kind of machine they purchased to systematically manage the paddy straw, no subsidy had been provided to the farmers who even collectively bought the machines.

The farmers, under the banner of “Bharti Kissan Union”, demanded the District Commissioner (DC) Varinder Kumar to permit them to burn stubble as the absence of machines was delaying the time for sowing next crop. Moreover, 50 per cent subsidy had failed to attract buyers for straw management machines such as balers, rotavators, zero tillers and hydraulic ploughs.

Kashmiri Singh, the union head, said, “Farmers are feeling victimised in the state as cases are registered against them for paddy straw burning and hefty fines are levied upon them by the district authorities, but what should they do with the straw left in the fields. The farmers are a harried lot in the absence of proper arrangement to deal with paddy straw.”

He further said the manufacturers had increased the price of rotavator machines after government announced the subsidy. The machine was earlier available for Rs 85,000 but they were now being sold at Rs 1.85 lakh. There was also an acute shortage of happy seeder machines because of artificially-inflated cost.

Therefore, they asked how were the farmers who were already under huge debts supposed to buy these machines, when there was no certainty regarding the amount of subsidy. Around 50-60 farmers unanimously said, when there was 28% GST on seeds and 18% on manures and fertilizers, as per 28% GST slab, the cost of crops should also be increased. “The administration should at least think of the farmers who have already taken huge loans. How can we buy the over-priced machines? This will further burden the farmers,” said Kulwinder Singh.

“A baler machine costs Rs 1.8 lakh and if hired they charge Rs 2,000 per acre. I’ve got the field on lease. How can I spend this much? The government asks us to buy the machinery but doesn’t tell from where should we get the money?”Satnam Singh Kunnar, a farmer from Jandiala said.

Some farmers have bought happy seeder machines and they are charging Rs 5,000-6,000 per acre for its usage. Rising fuel prices also compels the farmers to avoid using these machines.

The DC said the government had provided enough subsidy to the farmers and on the ground level, farmers were happy with the machines. He said there was a chunk of farmers who was misleading others, he said.