Chandigarh, May 17: Punjab government will soon get Rs 395 crore from the Centre to fund its campaign against stubble burning. It will be the first instalment out of the total Rs 665 crore of financial assistance that the state will receive for straw management over the next two years.
The state’s efforts to control the menace of stubble burning are under the lens of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) and the real test will be after the paddy harvest when farmers indulge in straw burning as a shortcut to clear their fields before the next season.
Manmohan Kalia, state nodal officer for crop residue management, said they might receive the financial assistance this month itself. “It is a part of farm mechanization scheme of the Centre under which Rs 1100 crore will be given to five northern states, including Punjab and Haryana. It will be utilized only for in situ crop residue management,” he said.
The fund will be used to give subsidy on eight key equipment to farmers to tackle paddy straw. Apart from groups of farmers and cooperative societies, individuals too can avail the subsidy.
Under the centrally-sponsored scheme, the objective is to set up farm machinery banks for custom hiring of in-situ crop residue management machinery. Financial assistance of 80% of the project cost will be provided to the cooperative societies of the farmers.
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