Administration chalks out strategy to stop stubble burning

To curb stubble burning during the upcoming paddy season, the Kapurthala administration has chalked out a comprehensive strategy, which includes running an awareness campaign at village level, besides keeping an eye on stubble burning cases at various levels .

As per the orders of the National Green Tribunal, a district-level coordination and monitoring committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the Deputy Commissioner.

The SSP, ADC (Development), Executive Engineer of Punjab Pollution Control Board and District Revenue Officer will be the members and Chief Agriculture Officer will be the convenor of the committee.

The committee meetings will be held weekly, in which the awareness activities will be reviewed and action will be initiated against fire incidents.

A subdivisional monitoring committee will be formed at the tehsil level, which will be headed by the Sub-Divisional Magistrate, besides having the DSPs and BDPOs as members and Block Agriculture Officer as convener. The committee meeting will be held daily.

Deputy Commissioner Amit kumar Panchal said under new the strategy, government officials and employees will be monitored closely by village level teams to ensure that they do not burn stubble in their fields. He said if any employee was found guilty, he/she would face strict action and adverse entries in their service record would be made.

Urging the farmers to play a pro-active role in curbing stubble burning, the Deputy Commissioner said the farmers must avail the subsidies of machinery for crop residue management by applying till September 19. He also announced that the district administration will also facilitate farmers, villages and panchayats with “zero” stubble burning cases.