A four-member team of Punjab''s Agriculture Department, which has been tasked with taking action against stubble burning incidents, was allegedly gheraoed by angry farmers in Sangrur district, even as officials denied to comment on the issue.
Farmers under the banner of Bharatiya Kisan Union (Ugrahan) held a protest on Monday evening after they came to know that the officials were going to take action against a farmer for violating the ban on stubble burning in Gharachon village.
"We staged a protest against the officials," BKU leader Manjit said, adding that they were allowed to go after assurances were given that farmers will not be harassed again.
Among those who were gheraoed included an official of the rank of chief agriculture officer, the BKU leader claimed.
The protesting farmers alleged that their small and marginal counterparts were being harassed by the government officials.
They lamented over being forced to buy expensive farm equipment for the management of paddy straw.
When contacted, agriculture department officials denied to comment on the issue.
Meanwhile, farmers in Punjab continued to defy the ban as the state reported 48,155 incidents of stubble burning between September 23 and November 11, officials said.
Sangrur and Bathinda districts continue to be the worst-affected districts, they added.
In the corresponding period last year, the state had witnessed 42,112 incidents of stubble burning.
On Monday, a total of 794 incidents of farm fires were reported from Sangrur, Mansa and Bathinda districts witnessing 178, 162 and 158 cases respectively, an official of the Punjab Remote Sensing Centre said.
Paddy growers continue to set paddy straw afire despite Supreme Court directions for the government to pay Rs 100 per quintal to those farmers who do not burn crop residue.
Source ( Outlook )