After DCs, police chiefs of 11 Punjab districts face heat over farm fires

Jupinderjit Singh

Chandigarh, November 17

After Deputy Commissioners, the police chiefs of 11 districts of the state are also facing the heat of farm fires recorded in their areas.

Rs 1.42 cr fine slapped on 6,561 farmers

• Special DGP Arpit Shukla said they had lodged 812 FIRs and launched probe to identify who – the owner or workers – had set the stubble on fire
• To date, a fine to the tune of Rs 1.42 crore has been slapped on 6,561 farmers. A total of 340 red entries have been made in revenue records of farmers

DGP Gaurav Yadav has issued show-cause notices to eleven SSPs for their “failure” to check farm fires. On Thursday, Chief Secretary Anurag Verma had issued similar notices to nine DCs for their inability to prevent farm fires.

A police spokesperson said the SSPs of Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Fazilka, Ferozepur, Ludhiana, Moga, Muktsar, Sangrur, Jagraon and Khanna have been asked to explain their alleged failure to check stubble burning.

The 11 police districts fall under nine revenue districts, whose DCs have also been told to explain their failure to prevent farm fires. While the number of SSPs who have been issued notices is higher than the DCs, the geographical area is same as there are two police districts within a revenue district.

Special DGP Arpit Shukla said the police have lodged 812 FIRs related to stubble burning, in which investigation has been launched to pinpoint who – the owner or workers – set the stubble on fire in a given area.

He said the police have so far held 6,895 meetings with village sarpanches of clusters of villages and farm leaders to sensitise them on the harmful effects of farm fires on environment and health of living beings.

Shukla added that 1,040 joint flying squads of police and civil officials have been formed to check farm fires.

To date, the civil and police officials have slapped penalty worth Rs 1.42 crore on 6,561 farmers for causing pollution to the environment. They have also made 340 red entries in the records of farmers accused of burning crop residue.