Nawanshahr, November 12 (Jatinder Pal Singh Kaler):- Senior Punjab BJP leader Ashok Nanowal has questioned the state government's stubble management policy and criticised its approach. He said that instead of holding others responsible for pollution in Delhi, the Aam Aadmi Party government should answer questions about the measures taken for stubble management during its four-and-a-half-year tenure and the results achieved. Seeking answers to five questions, Ashok Nanowal asked how many acres had been covered under the use of bio-decomposers and what results had been achieved, despite large-scale incidents of stubble burning being reported.
He further asked where the Rs 2,056.50 crore received under the Crop Residue Management (CRM) scheme up to 2025-26 had been spent and how much financial assistance from this amount had actually reached farmers. He also sought information on how many of the 94,456 machines registered with the Agriculture Department were in working condition and how many Custom Hiring Centres were providing services to farmers. Citing the example of the Haryana Government, Ashok Nanowal asked why the Punjab Government had not fulfilled its promise of providing farmers with cash assistance of Rs 2,500 per acre for stubble management, when farmers in Haryana were being given financial assistance ranging from Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,200 per acre.
He demanded an independent audit of government funds spent on CRM machinery, withdrawal of punitive cases registered against farmers in connection with stubble burning, and direct financial assistance to farmers on a per-acre basis for proper stubble management.
