Karnal, September 23: Deputy Director of Agriculture, Dr. Wazir Singh, informed that FIRs have been registered against three farmers in the district for stubble burning so far. Additionally, a fine of ?30,000 has been imposed on each of these farmers as per regulations, and a “Red Entry” has been made in their records on the Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal. As a result, these farmers will not be able to sell their crops at the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the next two seasons. All three farmers belong to the Gharaunda block. He stated that FIRs have been lodged against farmer Jasmer (resident of village Kaimla) for setting fire to paddy stubble in the fields of village Malikpur, farmer Dinesh Kumar (resident of Phurlak), and farmer Vicky, son of Rajkumar (resident of village Beejna), under Section 39 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, and Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, in the respective police stations.

He further informed that, as per the guidelines issued by the government, a target of “Zero Burning” has been set for incidents of crop residue burning this year. Like every year, this year too, district-level, block/tehsil-level, and village-level committees/enforcement teams have been formed by the Karnal Deputy Commissioner to prevent stubble burning incidents. Approximately 750 officers and employees have been assigned duties in these teams, which will not only work to prevent burning incidents but also take action as per regulations. He mentioned that in the previous year, 2024, the Government of India increased the fine amounts for stubble burning:

Up to 2 acres: ?5,000

Up to 5 acres: ?10,000

Above 5 acres: ?30,000

 

Additionally, an FIR will be registered against the guilty farmer, and a “Red Entry” will be made in their Meri Fasal Mera Byora portal.

Control rooms have been established at the district and block levels by the Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Department to address complaints related to stubble burning. The details of the in-charges are as follows:

 

Block In-Charge Name Designation Mobile Number

Karnal Sh. Gaurav Mehla Block Agriculture Officer 94166-39696

Gharaunda Sh. Rahul Dahiya Block Agriculture Officer 87084-59384

Indri Sh. Ashwani Kamboj Block Agriculture Officer 81681-40732

Nissing Sh. Karmveer Giri Block Agriculture Officer 94166-56600

Nilokheri Sh. Rampal Block Agriculture Officer 94163-93447

Assandh Sh. Baldev Block Agriculture Officer 98965-15375

Deputy Director Agriculture Office Sh. Puneet (Data Entry Operator) — 0184-2272623

 

He stated that farmers can contact these control rooms for the resolution of any issues related to crop residue management.

Dr. Wazir Singh said that the district administration and the Agriculture Department are fully vigilant regarding crop residue management. He appealed to farmers not to burn crop residues but to manage stubble properly with the help of agricultural machinery and avail the incentive of ?1,200 per acre. He added that if a farmer has not availed a subsidy on the same agricultural equipment in the last three years and the documents uploaded on the portal are found to be correct and complete, the selected farmer will be eligible for a subsidy on the purchase of that equipment through a draw. Farmers who have not submitted or uploaded incomplete documents such as PAN card, tractor RC, or affidavit can submit their documents at the Assistant Agricultural Engineer’s office to obtain an online permit.

Assistant Agricultural Engineer Sh. Kulbir Singh informed that farmers have also been notified about this matter via telephone. He reiterated the request to farmers who have not yet obtained an online permit to submit their PAN card, tractor RC (registered only in Haryana), and affidavit at the office to obtain their online permit. If a farmer fails to complete the documentation and obtain the permit on time, their permit will be canceled.