‘56,000 machines to be distributed for stubble mgmt’

Ludhiana: Punjab agriculture and farmer welfare minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal on Sunday said that the state government would take all possible steps to stop stubble burning in the upcoming paddy harvesting season.
Dhaliwal, who was addressing mediapersons here, said that the agriculture department had pulled all stops to manage stubble. He said 56,000 machines would be distributed under in-situ management of stubble this season, taking the total tally of machines to 1,4,6422. A total of 90,422 machines had been given to farmers from 2018-2022, he said.
Besides, Dhaliwal said, small-time farmers would also get machines like super seeder, happy seeder, zero drill. A total of 500 such machines would be sent to 154 blocks of the state. After September 15, employees of the agriculture department, including director rank officer besides himself, would visit fields and farmers’ houses to sensitise them against the menace of stubble burning, he announced.
The minister said that a massive awareness drive would be launched in the rural belt of Punjab in days to come. Lashing out at the Union government for “turning down” the cash incentive proposal to farmers for not burning stubble, he said that the state government had proposed to give Rs 2,500 per acre to paddy growers, suggesting that the Centre pay Rs 1,500 per acre while Rs 1,000 per acre would be borne by Punjab and Delhi governments. tnn