Decision of supreme court of India: Compensation to be paid to small & marginal farmers who do not burn paddy straw

Ludhiana, November 11, 2019: Following the directions of the Supreme Court of India and in a bid to encourage farmers to not burn paddy straw and agricultural residue, the Punjab government would be providing a compensation of Rs 100 per quintal to the small and marginal farmers. A meeting in this regard was chaired by Deputy Commissioner Mr Pradeep Kumar Agrawal today and welcomed this decision.
He informed that the Punjab government would provide compensation of up to Rs 100 per quintal to small and marginal farmers with landholding of less than 5 acres, who do not burn paddy straw and agricultural residue in their fields. He stated that this compensation would be provided based on their average yield of last year.
The Deputy Commissioner informed that the farmers who did not burn paddy straw and agricultural residue this year and vow to not burn it in coming days can avail this benefit of compensation. He said that the farmers can use the form published in newspapers. This form would be filled by the farmers themselves, after which they would submit it with either their sarpanch or Panchayat Secretary. And later, these filled up forms would be checked committees set up at SDM level. He clarified that only small and marginal farmers would be benefitted under this scheme. He further clarified that only those farmers whose landholding of entire family is less than 5 acres, would be benefitted.
The Deputy Commissioner informed that only those farmers would be benefitted who are involved in in-situ management of agricultural residue and paddy straw in their fields itself. He stated that those farmers, who are managing the paddy straw and agricultural residue outside their fields, would not be benefitted under this scheme because the farmer does not have to spend anything when the paddy straw and agricultural residue is managed outside of the fields.
He issued clear instructions to the concerned officials to ensure that the directions of Supreme Court of India are publicized everywhere so that maximum number of farmers can be benefitted. And those farmers, who burn paddy straw, should be encouraged to not burn it and avail full benefit of this scheme.
Additional Deputy Commissioner (Development) Mrs Amrit Singh informed that the farmers can also collect these farms from concerned Panchayat Secretaries. Besides, forms published in newspapers or Photostat copies can also be used. She informed that the Punjab Cooperation Department would also upload this form on their website as well.
The Deputy Commissioner has directed all SDMs that they should start providing compensation to farmers of those villages, where paddy straw was not burnt at all, on priority basis so that farmers can be encouraged.
Prominent among those present on the occasion included SDM (East) Mr Amarjit Singh Bains, SDM (West) Mr Amrinder Singh Malhi, SDM Khanna Mr Sandeep Singh, SDM Jagraon Dr Baljinder Singh Dhillon, Chief Agriculture Officer Dr Baldev Singh, Executive Engineer Punjab Pollution Control Board Mr Gurbakshish Singh Gill, besides several others.