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Union Agriculture Minister Chouhan urges farmers to follow Punjab village's successful stubble management model

CHANDIGARH: Union Agriculture and Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan visited various places in Punjab and interacted with farmers, besides reviewing ongoing rural-development initiatives on Thursday. Acknowledging that stubble burning remains a serious issue, he emphasised that with constructive dialogue and appropriate support, crop residue could be turned into a valuable resource rather than a liability. Chouhans discussions with farmers primarily focused on stubble management, agricultural sustainability and avenues for enhancing rural income. Lauding Punjab for achieving an 83 per cent reduction in stubble-burning cases, he described the states progress as a model worth replicating across the country. Speaking on the issue of stubble burning, Chouhan said such incidents have made the whole country worried. With the stubble burning, a field may get cleared for the next crop, but friendly insects are also burnt, besides causing the problem of pollution. I have come here to congratulate Punjab and take this experiment to the whole country, he said. He also interacted with beneficiaries of various rural-development schemes to assess the effectiveness of central government programs and understand issues at the grassroots level. Earlier in the day, Chouhan visited Ransih Kalan village to meet farmers who have stopped burning stubble for the past several years and appreciated the village for its commitment to sustainable practices, including environmental protection, social reforms and strong community participation. For the past six years, the farmers of this village have completely stopped stubble burning and have implemented scientific straw management techniques; as a result, the soil quality has improved, helping the farmers to reduce the use of chemical fertilisers by approximately 30 per cent. He said a potato farmer also stated that they now do not use potash for the crop, as stubble has potash. The size and quality of potatoes are better. This village is a school, he noted, who met farmers and praised them for their initiatives, said Chouhan. He said, I am giving a message from here that what farmers of Ransih Kalan have done, farmers of the entire country should adopt. He explained many advantages of not burning crop residue, saying mixing stubble in fields and direct seeding lead to saving water, diesel, lesser use of fertilisers and an increase in soil fertility. He also savoured 'makki di roti' and 'sarson da saag'-- a famous Punjabi dish -- while sitting on a 'manja' [charpoy]. I have just come here. People's love is amazing, said Chouhan while speaking with the media. He also said he had 'makke di roti' and 'sarson da saag'. Among the major initiatives of the village included providing cash incentives to farmers for not burning crop residue, cash incentives for growing fruit plants, cash rewards for promoting reading books in a village library, a plastic-free campaign, rain harvesting and an anti-drug campaign. Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, who accompanied Chouhan, said that stubble burning is a genuine concern for farmers, but practical and farmer-friendly solutions could convert the challenge into an economic advantage. He stressed the need for continuous engagement with farmers to arrive at long-term solutions. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and leader of the opposition in the Punjab Assembly, Partap Singh Bajwa, demanded that the Punjab Government and the Union Government publicly clarify the status of the Rs 1,600-crore flood relief package announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for Punjab. He noted that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had strongly criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Union governments delay in releasing the Rs 1,600 crore package. In contrast, Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar and Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of deliberately misinforming the public about flood relief. Bittu asserted that over Rs 800 crore had already been transferred to the Punjab Government and distributed to victims. One of them is clearly not telling the truth. The people of Punjab especially those who suffered immense losses during the floods deserve full transparency, said Bajwa, calling the conflicting statements unacceptable.