The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Punjab on Friday condemned Union environment minister Bhupendra Yadav’s statement that stubble burning didn’t decline as much in Punjab as in Haryana due to the non-utilisation of Centre’s schemes.
Addressing a press conference today, Aam Aadmi Party Punjab’s chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said the Union Minister presented false facts related to Punjab in Parliament.
“His (Yadav’s) statement is misleading and defamatory to Punjab,” he said. Kang said the policy of the BJP government at the Center is not to give anything to Punjab, but they just want to defame it through their lies. He said crop diversification is the need of the hour for Punjab.
“This will solve water as well as stubble burning problems in Punjab. Therefore, the Central government should give a special package to Punjab to encourage crop diversification,” the AAP spokesperson said.
Kang said Yadav compared Haryana and Punjab in Parliament, whereas in Punjab, paddy is cultivated in almost 3 times more area than in Haryana. Paddy is cultivated in about 32 lakh hectares in Punjab whereas in Haryana it is only in 12 lakh hectares.
“Despite this, due to the efforts of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, the cases of stubble burning in Punjab have decreased by 56 per cent as compared to last year,” he added
The AAP spokesperson said the Punjab government has submitted a draft to the Central government to give Rs 2500 per acre to the farmers to deal with the problem of stubble, in which the Punjab government will give Rs 1000 and has demanded Rs 1500 from the Central government.
“The Delhi government is also ready to give Rs 500 for this. According to this, the Center has to give only Rs 1000. Yet they are deliberately rejecting this proposal. Whereas after the implementation of this scheme, the problem of stubble burning can be curbed to a great extent in Punjab,” Kang added.
On Yadav’s reply on crop diversification, Kang said he mentioned Rs 2,440 Crore Central fund for this, whereas in Punjab alone, paddy worth about Rs 39,000 Crore has been purchased this year.
“This statement of the minister is a mere joke with the farmers of our country,” he said.
Kang said a decent MSP is given only on the paddy crop, the farmers of Punjab are forced to grow paddy only. Whereas the soil of Punjab can grow all crops and the farmers here are capable of growing everything from wheat, rice to vegetables and fruits.
“Therefore, instead of blaming Punjab, the Central government should give a special package to Punjab to promote crop diversification here,” he added.
