The News Freedom
www.thenewsfreedom.in
Chandigarh, November 19
With a view to motivating farmers not to burn paddy straw and crop residues in their fields, the Punjab Vidhan Sabha would honour those farmers who have stayed away or shunned this practice in larger public interest and environmental concerns. Disclosing here today, Speaker Punjab Vidhan Sabha, Kultar Singh Sandhwan, said that the state government highly appreciated the contribution of such farmers to contain the air and other pollution arising due to farm fires. Punjab government led by Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann has decided to appreciate these farmers in all districts, said the Speaker adding that officials of the agriculture department would compile the lists of such farmers so as to extend them a special appreciation.
With the help of agriculture and other line departments, special programmes will be organised across the state to honour the farmers shunning farm fires besides appreciating them in Vidhan Sabha also, said the Speaker. He said that last year too they had honoured a large number of farmers in districts and the Assembly.
Sandhwan pointed out that those, who did not set crop residues on fire, were making a constructive contribution to save the environment from different sorts of pollution, human health from hazardous diseases and fertility of the soil in the fields. He said it was high time to come out of this harmful activity of farm fires to ensure a healthy environment in the state.
He called upon farmers to take the message against farm fires to every nook and corner of their villages so as to motivate others to follow in their footsteps. The speaker also appealed to the farmers of the state to plant maximum saplings in their areas to further expand green cover to ensure a clean, green and pollution-free environment. He also motivated the farmers to sow the wheat crop with the help of machines of advanced technology. He said Agriculture Officials were apprising and helping the farmers about these machines throughout Punjab.