Rs 500 crore action plan to tackle stubble burning in Punjab

CHANDIGARH: Punjab agriculture and farmer welfare department has prepared an action plan of Rs 500 crore to put a check on stubble burning by providing machinery and other measures during the paddy harvesting season of 2024.
Agriculture minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that the department has received 21,511 applications from farmers, cooperative societies, farmer producer organisations (FPOs), and panchayats interested in availing subsidies on crop residue management (CRM) machinery during the kharif season of 2024. Farmers have applied for 63,697 machines. Individual farmers can avail of a 50% subsidy on the cost of CRM equipment, while cooperative societies, FPOs, and panchayats can receive an 80% subsidy, limited to a maximum according to the guidelines of the scheme, he added.
Under the scheme, the minister said, super SMS, super seeder, surface seeder, smart seeder, happy seeder, paddy straw chopper, shredder, mulcher, hydraulic reversible mould board plough, and zero till drill for in-situ management, as well as baler and rake for ex-situ machines, are being made available on subsidy.
As many as 1,30,000 CRM machines have been provided to Punjab farmers from 2018-19 to 2023, Khudian said.
He added that the agriculture department would also launch an information, education, and communication campaign to educate and train farmers about the available technologies for the management of crop residue, as the state govt is taking every possible step to address the problem of stubble burning.
The minister also asked the department officials to ensure transparency in the entire process and stated that strict action will be taken against the violation of rules and regulations.
Earlier this year, the Punjab govt informed the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that it would take steps to effectively manage the entire 19.58 million tonnes (MT) of paddy straw in 2024. The state govt is also considering a Haryana-type "incentive scheme: to dissuade farmers. However, the higher cost involved due to the larger area under paddy production in the state could prove to be a deterrent in adopting it.