NASA has released images of paddy straw burning, which have raised questions from former central minister Vijay Sampla against the Punjab government and Arvind Kejriwal.
He said that Punjab now has an Aam Aadmi Party government, and when they were not in power, they accused Punjab of burning straw. Now that they are in power, images of paddy straw burning in Punjab have been released by NASA, clearly showing that a large quantity of straw is being set on fire in Punjab while Haryana has successfully controlled it. He asked where the Chief Minister of Punjab is. He also questioned what steps the Punjab government took when funds were provided by the central government to prevent the burning of straw.
A letter from the Governor to the Chief Minister, written by the Environment Ministry, has demanded an inquiry into the report against Mohali’s MLA for disregarding the Ministry’s regulations. Sampla has mentioned that while the Punjab government has failed to take any action against the MLA, the Environment Ministry has sought action through a letter to the Governor.
On the issue of the SYL canal, Sampla stated that AAP MPs make statements within Punjab and then talk about providing water to Haryana and Delhi from Punjab once they are outside the state. This clearly shows that they have no concern for Punjab, which is causing significant damage to the state.
Regarding the cases filed by the Punjab government against opposition members, Sampla expressed concern. He referred to the arrest of an Akali Dal leader for posting a video on Twitter and mentioned that suppressing the voices of opposition is not acceptable. He sees a threat to democracy in the ongoing actions being taken against opposition members in Punjab by the Aam Aadmi Party.
Cases of paddy straw burning are still occurring in Firozpur district
In Firozpur district, many farmers are still setting their fields on fire with straw after harvesting their rice crop. Deputy Commissioner Firozpur, Rajesh Dhiman, has issued strict orders to prevent straw burning. Officials have been deployed to enforce these orders, but despite this, many farmers can still be seen burning straw in their fields. On the ground, when farmers and passersby were asked about this, they mentioned that the administration and government need to find a concrete solution. So far, there is no viable alternative for farmers apart from burning straw because it results in additional expenses. If farmers do not burn the straw, the cost becomes quite high. Farmer Gurcharan Singh said, “We are appealing to the administration and government to provide us with a viable solution. So far, no one has come up with a concrete solution other than burning straw, and it incurs additional expenses.” Farmer Bachitar Singh said, “We are urging the administration and government to provide a proper alternative to straw burning. If a farmer does not burn the straw, it incurs additional costs.” On the other hand, Deputy Commissioner Firozpur, Rajesh Dhiman, appealed to the farmers not to burn straw and informed them that those found burning straw would face legal action. He also mentioned that the responsibility for preventing straw burning has been assigned to the village headman in the orders. Furthermore, he stated that if a farmer burns straw without the required license, their license would be revoked, and restrictions on all kinds of activities would be imposed. Deputy Commissioner Firozpur Rajesh Dhiman said, “We appeal to farmers not to burn straw. Legal action will be taken against those who burn straw. The village headman has been assigned responsibility for preventing straw burning. If a farmer burns straw without the necessary license, their license will be revoked, and all work will be restricted.”
