Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) hailed the Supreme Court decision and said that the after forming the government in Punjab, there is 70 percent decrease in stubble burning cases in last two years.
However, it noted that the Supreme Court hinted that only Punjab farmers are not responsible for the dire pollution situation of Delhi as it also asked the governments of UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Central Government to take necessary measures to curb this problem.
Addressing the media, AAP Punjab chief spokesperson Malvinder Singh Kang said, “Stubble burning has been a compulsion of farmers but our government provided alternatives as biofuel factories which buy paddy stubble from farmers. It helps farmers as they don’t have to burn the stubble and they get good money for it too.”
He said that only farmers are not responsible for the pollution that Delhi is facing today, so the central government must own up to its responsibility and take steps to curb all kinds of pollution in the national capital.
“Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann asked Haryana and Central government to set up a fund to tackle this problem but the Centre refused the proposal. Now the Supreme Court has directed all governments including the central government to take measures to stop stubble burning and curb the pollution in Delhi,” Kang said.
Informing about the measures taken by the Punjab government to tackle air pollution, he said, “Mann government ensured that paddy is sowed in four phases in Punjab and we are constantly encouraging crop diversification by giving MSP on Moongi, clearing dues of sugarcane farmers etc.”
“Modi government should immediately give Punjab a special financial package to promote crop diversification here. MSP of other crops like cotton, corn, citrus fruits and lentils should be ensured so that farmers have other options besides paddy and wheat. The Central Government should also set up a much-needed fund to tackle this issue,” AAP Punjab chief added.
