Punjab Police Monday mentioned it has lodged 870 FIRs, marked pink entries within the income data of 394 farmers for stubble burning, and imposed fines of Rs 10.55 lakh on the offenders in previous over a month. The police assertion comes day after the Supreme Court docket pulled up the Punjab and Haryana governments over the non-prosecution of violators discovered responsible of stubble burning and summoned the chief secretaries of the 2 states to seem earlier than it on October 23 for an evidence.
Particular Director Common of Police (Legislation and Order) Arpit Shukla mentioned the Punjab Police, collectively with civil administration, has initiated a large marketing campaign to coach farmers about dangerous results of stubble burning and in addition the doable authorized actions towards these discovered placing matchstick to paddy straw. He mentioned authorized motion is being initiated towards these discovered burning
stubble.
“Until now, 1,393 farm fires have been detected by satellites within the state, and joint groups have been despatched for inspection on the spot,” Shukla mentioned, including that police groups have registered FIRs in 874 instances since September 15, whereas no case of stubble burning was discovered at 471 spots.
Nonetheless, each day diary report (DDR) entries of 471 instances have been made on the police stations involved, he mentioned.
Aside from registering FIRs, penalties value Rs 10.55 lakh have been imposed in 397 instances and pink entries made in income data of 394 farmers, the senior officer added.
Purple entries marked in income data makes it troublesome for farmers to promote, mortgage their land or avail loans towards it. Complying with the instructions of the Supreme Court docket and Fee for Air High quality Administration (CAQM) to deliver down stubble burning instances to zero, Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav had appointed Shukla because the police nodal officer to observe motion towards stubble burning.
Shukla mentioned police groups together with civil administration have been making untiring efforts on the floor stage to curb the menace of stubble burning within the state.
He mentioned the groups have been conducting joint excursions in villages, which have been recognized as stubble burning hotspots and holding public consciousness conferences with varied farmer unions at district and sub-divisional ranges.
In the previous few days, deputy commissioners, senior superintendents of police, sub-divisional magistrates and deputy superintendents of police held joint excursions, throughout which they held public consciousness conferences and in addition conferences with farmer our bodies.
Shukla exhorted farmers to cooperate and never burn crop residue, which won’t solely result in the deterioration of the atmosphere but additionally have an effect on the well being of kids and aged folks.
Earlier, bench of Justices Abhay S Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Augustine George Maish of Supreme Court docket had slammed the Punjab authorities, saying mentioned not even a single prosecution has been carried out in previous three years and it was solely tolerating breaches.
“Why are you shy of prosecuting folks. This isn’t a political matter. It is a matter of implementation of statutory instructions of the fee. No political concerns will apply. There may be defiance in your half. You might be encouraging folks to commit breaches. You might be solely imposing nominal fines. ISRO (Indian House Analysis Organisation) is telling you the placement of the stubble burning and also you say fireplace location just isn’t discovered,” the bench mentioned.
Punjab Advocate Common Gurminder Singh submitted it was troublesome to implement the instructions on the bottom and the authorities made “pink entries” within the income data of the farmers who triggered fires at farms.
