BATS FOR JOINT EFFORTS BY UNION AND STATE GOVERNMENT TO COMBAT PADDY STRAW BURNING MENACE
ASSERTS THAT FARMERS BURN PADDY STRAW IN DEARTH OF ANY VIABLE ALTERNATIVE
SHOWCASES PUNJAB AS LAND OF OPPORTUNITIES
SAS Nagar (Mohali), February 20-
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday flagged the case of immediate release of the pending share of taxes and Rural Development Fund (RDF) before the Union Environment Minister for making Punjab a frontrunner state in the country.
The Chief Minister, while addressing a workshop for the effective paddy straw management here today, underscored the need for financial sustainability of the states to contribute to the socio-economic growth of the country. He said that the states must be empowered to play a bigger and effective role in the development of the country. Bhagwant Mann said that for this the Union government must release the pending share of taxes and Rural Development Fund (RDF).
The Chief Minister sought the kind intervention of the Union Environment Minister Bhupinder Yadav to raise the issue at the appropriate forum. Describing paddy straw as an asset, he underlined the need for developing a sustainable mechanism for the management of the paddy straw burning menace. Bhagwant Mann said that it is a long pending issue of the entire northern region but the farmers lack any viable mechanism to manage Crops residue.
The Chief Minister said that the farmers don’t want to burn the stubble as at the first, the families of farmers have to face the brunt of this menace. He said that the Union government and state governments have to join hands by preparing a joint action plan to combat this menace by ensuring procurement of stubble. Citing an example of Verbio Company, Bhagwant Mann said that this company took the initiative to manage the stubble in 47 thousand acres adding that such companies should be further encouraged.
The Chief Minister said that to combat the problem of paddy menace, the state government has already taken major responsibility of assured remuneration of all crops to motivate diversification. He reiterated that lodging FIRs against the farmers is not the solution to tackle this problem as it involves social stigma. Bhagwant Mann said that dependence of farmers entirely on farming is the main cause of farmers suicide.
Reminding the Union Minister about the rich legacy of the state, the Chief Minister said that the brave and determined heroes of our freedom struggle made enormous sacrifices to remove the shackles of foreign imperialism. He said that it is on record that more than 90% of the great patriots who laid down their lives or were subjected to British tyranny in one form or another were Punjabis. Bhagwant Mann asserted that even today Punjabis are at forefront to safeguard the borders of the country.
The Chief Minister further said that Punjabis led the nation from the front whenever India faced any challenge from internal or external aggression. He said that the hard working and resilient farmers of the state have played a crucial role in making the country self-reliant in food production. Bhagwant Mann envisioned that with the concerted efforts of the state government, the pristine glory of the state would soon be restored.
The Chief Minister said that a Punjabi is a born entrepreneur who is ever ready to make every effort to put the state on a high orbit of industrial growth trajectory. He said that Punjabi entrepreneurs have proved their mettle across the globe and now the time has come when we must focus on growth within the state. He said that this will open new vistas of employment for youth besides making the state as a frontrunner industrial state in the country.
The Chief Minister also said that the farmers need to be encouraged to adopt allied farming activities to supplement their income. Speaking about the first of its kind initiative Kisan Milni, he said that the farmers know the solution of every problem facing the entire farming community. Bhagwant Mann said that for this the state government has for the first time roped in the farmers to find solutions for the vex problems faced by them.
Speaking about the crop pattern, the Chief Minister underlined the need for adopting the varieties of paddy that take minimum time to ripe. He said that Sugarcane is a vital substitute of the paddy but farmers have to face the difficulties of selling it. However, Bhagwant Mann said that the state government has already set its wheels in motion to promote cultivation of sugarcane in a big way.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has taken path breaking initiatives to ensure the well being of sugarcane cultivators. He said that the Sugarfed has already cleared all the pending arrears of the farmers. Bhagwant Mann said that the state government has procured sugarcane on SAP of Rs 380 per quintal.
Showcasing Punjab as a land of opportunities, the Chief Minister said that the state government is roping in several companies to invest in the state. He said that entrepreneurs will be immensely benefited by investing in the state, which is rapidly emerging as the industrial hub of the country. Bhagwant Mann said that Punjab has complete communal harmony, peace and amity, which are mainly responsible for overall development and prosperity in the state.
Earlier, in his address Environment Minister Gurmeet Singh Meet Hayer welcomed the guests to the conference. He also hhighlighted the various initiatives taken by his department to weed out the menace of stubble burning such as in situ management and ex situ management. Meet Hayer said that the state government is motivating the farmers to shun the practice and is even felicitating them.
Chief Minister also felicitated Union Minister Bhupinder Yadav and Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar with Phulkari, a sapling and a replica of Sri Harimandir sahib.
