Punjab: Farmers to hold protests against FIRs for stubble burning on Nov 25

Bharti Kisan Union has decided to hold State-wide protests against the Government’s decision to lodge FIRs against farmers involved in stubble burning in Punjab. Union will hold a joint protest against the Government in front of the concerned Deputy Superintendent’s Office on November 25. Bharti Kisan Union in its statement has said that the Punjab Government didn’t abide by the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal and had put blame on the farmers.

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NGT directs government 

“In the 14th Paragraph of the 18th page of NGT judgement, it is clearly mentioned that those farmers who do not wish to burn subtle and keep it will get happy seeders from Government for land up to two acres; for Rs. 5000 up to 5 acres and for Rs. 15000 for more than 5 acres for one time.” “In addition to this, NGT has also directed that the Government should also assist and provide transportation and storage facility for storage of stubble. Supreme Court has also taken cognizance of a serious breach of Supreme Court's decision by the Government, “it added.

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'This is not our choice to burn stubble'

The Union Government has also maintained that the extent of stubble burning has gone up against the last year's mark. The rise in stubble burning is expected as crops in stretch adjoining Jammu and Kashmir borders are now being cut and the waste stubble will be burnt. “This is not our choice to burn stubble but it is a compulsion for us to do this as we have no other option left. We don’t get enough selling price for the crop, which will compensate us for this additional labour,” said Balwinder Singh, a farmer of the area adjoining Dera Baba Nanak, Gurdaspur district. In Haryana, Administration has lodged more than 1500 FIRs against the farmers indulged in stubble burning. The Supreme Court has summoned the chief secretaries of Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh on November 29 and has been asked to file the compliance report on the measures being taken to curb this by November 25.

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