No equipment or time, Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann told; farm fires likely to rage

Ruchika M Khanna

Chandigarh, October 7

Farm fires are unlikely to abate this year. With farm unions in the state refusing to accede to the request of the government on the scientific management of crop residue, there are chances of higher instances of farm fire this year.

FOCUS STILL ON IN-SITU MGMT

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Though the govt has come up with an ex-situ stubble management policy, the primary focus is on the in-situ technique. However, the delivery of stubble mgmt machines to farmers is quite slow. Of the total 32,100 machines, only 7,300 have been delivered to farmers this season. Till last year, 90,422 machines were delivered to farmers.

STIR NEAR CM’S HOUSE TOMORROW

• BKU-Ekta Ugrahan leaders refused to cancel the dharna outside the CM’s Sangrur house on Sunday, saying though the demands were accepted, these were seldom implemented

NO LET-UP IN PROTEST AT ZIRA PLANT

• Farm unions have refused to lift the dharna outside the Zira distillery. The CM has asked Zira & Ferozepur MLAs to initiate a dialogue with the protesters and resolve the issue

In three successive meetings with various farm unions held yesterday and today, the leaders told the CM Bhagwant Mann-led government delegation that they would not be able to control the burning of paddy straw, as they neither had sufficient time to prepare the fields for the next crop nor were there enough machines available for in-situ stubble management.

This in spite of the fact that the CM-led delegation assured the farm leaders that the government does not intend to take any coercive steps.

The union leaders are learnt to have told the government that though they and their families were the worst-affected by the smog caused by farm fires, they did not have a choice as the cost of in-situ management equipment and hiring the machines was difficult for the farmers to bear.

Talking to The Tribune, Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan, general secretary, BKU-Ekta Ugrahan, said they had demanded Rs 200 per quintal over and above the MSP of paddy, towards this cost. “Else, farmers are helpless and will have no other choice.”

Yesterday, after the meeting with the delegation, Jagjit Dallewal, president, BKU-Sidhupur, had said the government had earlier promised to compensate farmers with Rs 2,500 per acre for the scientific crop residue management, but it refused later.

Later, Agriculture Minister Kuldeep Dhaliwal said the government was clear on not letting the farmers burn stubble. “We will not take any coercive steps, but are making machines available to farmers, so that they go for in-situ or ex-situ management of stubble. But, the government, at this point, can’t afford to give compensation.”