Farmers found guilty of burning stubble won’t be able to contest Panchayat Polls: Tript Bajwa

Chandigarh, October 4, 2018: “The Punjab Government is taking stringent steps to stop the stubble & Paddy Waste burning. Regarding this, the Punjab Government has appointed a large number of nodal officers and issued instructions for imposing penalties and taking legal action. At the same time, the government is also considering a proposal to amend the Panchayati Raj Act to prevent the farmers from stubble burning. Disclosing this here today, the Rural Development & Panchayat Minister Mr.Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa said that Punjab Government is seriously considering a proposal to make farmers ineligible from contesting Panchayat elections if found guilty of stubble burning. Mr. Bajwa said that this practice is not only polluting our environment but the soil is also losing its fertility day by day. He said that due to stubble burning global warming is increasing which a danger to planet earth. He said that due to this people had to suffer from diseases such as Ashthma, Eye & Skin etc. ‘Ill effects of stubble burning poses a big threat to our future generations,’ added Bajwa. The Punjab Government has launched a vigorous campaign to aware farmers about the ill effects of stubble burning and some legal actions are also being taken to stop this. The Government is also providing huge subsidies on the Agricultural implements used for mulching paddy straw into the soil. This has lead to 40 percent decrease in stubble burning by the farmers. The Minister further said that the Punjab Government is taking help from Agriculture experts, Farmer Associations, Progressive Farmers, Social and Religious leaders to completely put an end to stubble burning in the state. Mr. Tript Bajwa exhorted the farmer fraternity & Panchayats to come forward to make people aware about the ill effects of stubble burning so that governments do not need to enforce laws to stop such practices. He further said that the Government does not want to make strict laws or take strict actions but to save our future generations such hard decisions are the need of the hour.