Page 2 - Punjab Farmers

Punjab farmer bodies protest against cases lodged over stubble burning

Several farmer bodies in Punjab on Monday held protests at the offices of deputy commissioners and sub-divisional magistrates at many places, seeking withdrawal of cases registered against farmers for burning stubble. The protesting farmers, who also demanded a long-lasting solution for paddy straw, brought stubble-laden trolleys to several offices of DCs and SDMs. The call for the four-hour protest was given by the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and 18 other farmer bodies. The agitating farmers demanded withdrawal of legal actions, including registration of FIRs and rollback of the fine imposed on farmers for burning crop residue. They also demanded an increase in sugarcane rates and a fair compensation for land acquisition under the Bharatmala projects. In Moga, a group of farmers, who were bringing stubble in tractor-trolleys, said they were stopped from entering the DC office complex for staging a 'dharna'. One of the farmers even lied in front of a police vehicle, deman

We are being targeted, defamed for Delhi air pollution, say Punjab farmers

Farmers in Punjab Tuesday said they were unnecessarily being targeted and defamed for air pollution in Delhi, asserting that industries, vehicles and the construction sector are the major sources of pollution in the national capital and not stubble burning. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is considered a contributing factor to the spike in pollution levels in Delhi in October and November every year. Amid the recent decline in air quality in the national capital, the AAP and the BJP have blamed stubble burning in states ruled by the other for the pollution. Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema on Monday said most stubble burning incidents are being witnessed in the BJP-ruled Haryana and Uttar Pradesh whereas such cases are declining in his state. On the other hand, Haryana Agriculture Minister Jai Prakash Dalal on Saturday had slammed the Bhagwant Mann government over the stubble burning incidents in the state. Bharti Kisan Union (Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhde

Punjab farmers defy farm fire prevention, force officer to burn stubble

A group of farmers allegedly defied the orders of a farm fire prevention team, and forced an officer to set a heap of stubble on fire in Punjab's Bathinda district, drawing condemnation from Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. A purported video of the entire incident also surfaced on social media. Police have lodged an FIR in the matter after an order by Mann on Saturday. The chief minister termed the incident as an inhuman crime against the people of the state. Bathinda Deputy Commissioner Showkat Ahmad Parray had also written to the senior superintendent of police, asking him to register an FIR against the farmers for preventing the official from discharging his duty. The incident took place in Mehma Sarja village on Friday when a team led by a special supervisor went there to check stubble burning incidents. The DC said the official was surrounded by a group of 50-60 farmers with allegiance to a farmers' body, took him to a nearby field and forced him to put a heap of stubble on fire.

Punjab farmers' 'rail roko' stir enters 3rd day, train movement remains hit

The 'rail roko' stir of Punjab farmers demanding compensation for crops damaged in the recent floods, a legal guarantee on MSP and a sweeping debt waiver entered its third day on Saturday. The agitation has hit the movement of trains, with many being cancelled, short-terminated or diverted, railway officials said. The farmers have been blockading railway tracks at several places in Faridkot, Samrala, Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda and Amritsar since Thursday as part of their three-day agitation. The protest has left hundreds of rail passengers stranded in Punjab and Haryana. A railway passenger at Ludhiana station said he arrived from Jalandhar City by road to take a train to Gorakhpur but there is no information on when it will arrive. Another passenger at the station said the agitation forced the cancellation of a train from Amritsar in which 12 of his family members were supposed to travel to Bihar. They later learned

Farmers' stir in Punjab: Trains hit; farmers block Chandigarh-Ambala NH

Farmers in large numbers squatted on rail tracks in parts of Punjab on Friday, while another group of cultivators blocked the Chandigarh-Ambala national highway as part of their stir to demand a financial package for losses incurred in floods, a legal guarantee to MSP and a sweeping debt waiver. As part of the three-day 'rail roko' protest, farmers squatted on the Amritsar-Delhi railway track in Devidas Pura, while in Hoshiarpur, members of the Azad Kisan Committee, Doaba, sat on dharna at the local railway station. According to railway officials, while some trains were cancelled, routes of several trains have been diverted. Some trains are being short terminated in view of the agitation. The stir is underway at 17 places in Punjab, including in Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Amritsar. A group of farmers owing allegiance to BKU (Sidhupur) also squatted on the Chandigarh-Ambala national highway near Lalru in Punjab. ...

Punjab farmers continue three-day 'rail roko' agitation over MSP demand

Due to the protest, several trains on the Ambala-Shri Ganganagar route were cancelled on Thursday

Punjab farmers go on 3-day protest over flood compensation, MSP

Police official Balvir S Ghuman said that massive security has been deployed to deal with the situation

10% of crop loss compensation to go to labourers employed by farmers: Mann

Ten percent of the total compensation for crop damage will now go the labourers employed by farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Friday after a Cabinet meeting in Ludhiana. He said the decision was taken as when crop gets damaged due to heavy rains or hailstorms, farm labourers also lose work and income. Explaining how the scheme will be implemented, he said the state government will soon start registering labourers as very few of them are registered and they cannot avail the benefits of schemes of state and central governments. It was the first state Cabinet meeting outside Chandigarh. It was held in the Circuit House at Ludhiana, about 100 km away from the state capital. Mann said it has been decided that most Cabinet meetings from now on will be held outside Chandigarh and the initiative will be called "Sarkar Tuhade Dwar" (government at your doorsteps). It will give officials and ministers a chance to listen to the grievances of the people, take feedback and ..

Over 11,200 tillers in Punjab to own land as Prez gives assent to Bill

More than 11,200 tillers in Punjab, who have been occupying over 4,000 acres of land for generations but had no title rights, will get the ownership after paying due compensation as President Droupadi Murmu gave her assent to a legislation in this effect, officials said on Thursday. The Punjab Bhondedar, Butemar, Dohlidar, Insar Miadi, Mukarraridar, Mundhimar, Panahi Qadeem, Saunjidar, or Taraddadkar (Vesting of Proprietary Rights) Bill, 2020 was passed by the Punjab Assembly in 2020 when the Congress government led by Amarinder Singh was in power. "The President gave assent to the Bill passed by the Punjab Assembly," an official said. The move allows property rights to more than 11,200 tenants occupying over 4,000 acres land after paying due compensation. It is expected that the legislation will empower tillers of such land, who belong mostly to the economically and socially weaker sections of society, the official said. These tenants have been in occupation of small parcels of

Punjab's cotton, maize yield to dip by 11-13% by 2050 due to climate change

Climate change is predicted to reduce maize and cotton yield in Punjab by 13 per cent and 11 per cent by 2050, according to a new study conducted by agriculture economists and scientists at Punjab Agricultural University (PAU). Punjab accounts for around 12 per cent of the total cereals produced in the country. The study published in the Mausam journal of the India Meteorological Department earlier this month used rainfall and temperature data collected between 1986 and 2020 to project the impact of climate change on five major crops -- rice, maize, cotton, wheat, and potato -- in the agrarian state. The researchers collected climate data from five weather observatories of Punjab Agricultural University, ie Ludhiana, Patiala, Faridkot, Bathinda, and SBS Nagar. The researchers -- agricultural economist Sunny Kumar, scientist Baljinder Kaur Sidana and PhD scholar Smily Thakur -- said that long-term changes in climatic variables show that the rise in temperature is driving most of the

Punjab farmer leaders submit memorandum to Governor

Several farmer leaders of Punjab on Saturday submitted a memorandum to Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit, seeking implementation of their various demands including legally guaranteed minimum support price and withdrawal of the Electricity Amendment Bill. On the call of Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), representatives of 33 farmer bodies in the state also took out a march to mark the second anniversary of their agitation against the now-repealed three farm laws. However, the farmers, who came in large numbers from across the state, took out the march from Gurdwara Amb Sahib in Mohali till the Chandigarh-Mohali border from where a representative of the Punjab Governor accepted a memorandum on his behalf. A heavy police force was deployed at the Chandigarh-Mohali border, said officials. Later, several farmer leaders including Joginder Singh Ugrahan, Harinder Singh Lakhowal and Harmeet Singh Kadian were taken in a bus by the Chandigarh police to Raj Bhavan in the Union Territory for a ...

Pb, Haryana farmers sensitised on stubble management to cut air pollution

With its unique stubble management technology to minimise stubble burning, Canadian smart seeder has sensitised farmers in Punjab and Haryana through winter wheat sowing trials

Paddy stubble burning events in Punjab rise 16 pc to 2,817 on Nov 5: ICAR

The number of paddy stubble burning incidents rose 16 per cent to 2,817 in Punjab on November 5 over the previous day even as the Centre has been appealing to farmers to use Pusa bio-decomposer and other machines for crop residue management. As per the data maintained by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), about 319 stubble burning events were reported in Madhya Pradesh, 91 in Rajasthan, 90 in Haryana, 24 in Uttar Pradesh and nil in Delhi on November 5. Between September 15 and November 5 this year, a total of 29,400 stubble burning events were detected in Punjab alone, followed by 2,530 events in Haryana, 2,246 in Madhya Pradesh, 927 in Uttar Pradesh, 587 in Rajasthan and 9 in Delhi. Stubble burning in neighbouring states, which has been an old menace during the paddy harvesting season, remains a significant contributor to air pollution, especially across northern India, including the national capital. Last week, Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had appeal

Stubble burning: Unhappy with Punjab govt plan, farmers want compensation

Farmers have indicated that they will continue with the practice unless the govt compensates them suitably for the expenses they will incur by adopting alternative methods of disposing of crop residue

Stubble burning: Centre refuse cash incentive for farmers, says Punjab CM

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said the Centre has turned down the state government's proposal of contributing to the cash incentive to farmers for not burning stubble. The state government had proposed to give Rs 2,500 per acre to paddy growers. It suggested that the Centre pay Rs 1,500 per acre while Rs 1,000 per acre will be borne by Punjab and Delhi governments. Paddy straw burning in Punjab and Haryana is one of the reasons behind the alarming spike in air pollution levels in the national capital in October and November as farmers set their fields on fire to quickly clear off the crop residue before cultivating wheat and potato. Punjab generates around 20 million tons of paddy straw annually. In a video message, Punjab CM Mann on Saturday said, "We had written to the Centre that it should help us over the issue of stubble burning." "But the Centre has turned down our demand," said Mann. He, however, added, "It does not matter. If the central government is no

SAD leader Sukhbir Badal, farmers' union slam Centre for wheat ban export

Farmers' unions in Punjab on Monday dubbed the Centre's decision of banning wheat exports as an "anti-farmer" move, saying that the Union government is not letting them reap the gains

World Food Program to visit Punjab to study wheat storage facility

WFP on Wednesday started a visit to Punjab to understand the process of procurement, testing and transportation of wheat to Afghanistan

Punjab CM Mann urges Centre to relax norms for shrivelled grains

Wheat growers in Punjab have reported drop in crop yield and shrivelled grains because of the early onset of heat wave

Incomes and household expenses of farmers rise post loan waivers: Study

The study found no major change in size of holdings in Punjab and UP farms post waiver, which showed no impact of the scheme on the land holding status of beneficiaries

Punjab polls: Congress has always betrayed farmers, says PM Modi

Addressing a rally in Abohar ahead of the February 20 Punjab assembly polls, Modi urged voters to bring the BJP-led alliance to power in the state for its all-round development