JE News Desk: The Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Department of the Punjab government has proposed a plan worth Rs 350 crore to address the issue of stubble burning in the state. The plan involves providing subsidies for stubble management machinery. Under this scheme, cooperative societies and other groups can receive an 80 per cent subsidy, while individual farmers will receive a 50 per cent subsidy for purchasing stubble management machines.
Agriculture Minister Gurmeet Singh Khudian stated that the department has submitted a Rs 350 crore plan to the central government. The proposed initiative aims to secure funds for the current year and provide over 20,000 subsidised machines to individual farmers for managing crop residue. The initiative to reduce air pollution caused by stubble burning also includes the establishment of 1,000 custom hiring centres in the state.
The department is inviting applications from farmers, cooperative societies, FPOs and panchayats interested in availing subsidies for various Crop Residue Management (CRM) machinery during the Kharif season of 2023. The scheme offers subsidies for machines such as Super SMS, Super Seeder, Smart Seeder, Happy Seeder, Paddy Straw Chopper, Shredder, Mulcher, Hydraulic Reversible Mouldboard Plough, Baler, Rake and Zero Till Drill for residue management.
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Individual farmers are eligible for a 50 per cent subsidy on the equipment's cost, while cooperative societies, FPOs and Panchayats can receive up to 80 per cent subsidy. Farmers can apply for this subsidy through the department's portal until July 20.
The department will conduct campaigns to educate and train farmers about available technologies for managing crop residue. The Agriculture Minister also instructed department officials to ensure transparency in the subsidy allocation process and strict action will be taken in case of any rule violations.