Rohtak admn warns farmers of red entries; growers’ body cries foul

Rohtak Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC) Narendra Kumar has appealed to the farmers of the district to manage paddy straw and not burn it.

"The farmers should manage the crop residue properly as burning pollutes the environment and leads to many health disorders among residents," the ADC said while presiding over a meeting organised on crop residue management.

He pointed out that as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, monitoring committees have been formed at the district, block and village levels, which are monitoring the burning of crop residue.

He cautioned that if a farmer was found setting fire to crop residue, a red entry would be made in his land/crop record, following which the farmer would not be able to sell his crop in the market for the current season and the next two seasons and would not be able to avail the benefits of the schemes being run by the Department of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare.

Kumar stated that so far, 12 incidents of burning of crop residue were reported in the district, of which seven were found to be correct. So far, four FIRs were registered against the guilty farmers.

“If any farmer sets fire to crop residue, strict action will be taken against him under the Prevention and Control of Pollution Act, 1986, and other legal provisions,” he warned.

The Additional Deputy Commissioner said the farmers could also get the assistance amount of Rs 1,000 per acre given by the government by carrying out stubble management through in-situ and ex-situ methods.

The interested farmers should get himself registered by November 30 under the Crop Residue Management Scheme-2024 on the website of the Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department https://agriharyana.gov.in/applyschemes.

Meanwhile, activists of the All-India Kisan Khet Mazdoor Sangathan (AIKKMS) took out a protest march from Mansarovar Park to the Mini-Secretariat against the Haryana government's move of registering FIRs against hundreds of farmers of the state for burning stubble, imposing fines of lakhs of rupees and banning the purchase of their crops.

A delegation of the farmers' organisation submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister through the local Deputy Commissioner.

Talking to mediapersons, AIKKMS state secretary Jaikaran Mandothi said the burning of stubble contribute nearly 9 per cent to air pollution, while the industries and factories, generator sets, rockets, thermal plants, motor vehicles, burning of garbage, dust, unchecked bursting of firecrackers on festivals and other occasions contribute 91 per cent.

"Still, FIRs are being lodged against the farmers. We question the state government what legal action it has taken against the owners of industrial units, factories, motor vehicles, thermal plants and other persons causing pollution in various ways," said the farmers' leader.

The farmers' organisation has demanded immediate withdrawal of police cases registered against the farmers for burning stubble, removal of red entries made in their record and cancellation of fines imposed on them, terming the said moves as injustice to the hapless farmers.

It also sought adequate financial assistance to the farmers for stubble management and provision of equipment required to manage stubble in all villages.