SAS Nagar (Mohali), February 20:
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday flagged the case of immediate release of the pending share of taxes and Rural Development Fund (RDF) before the Union Environment Minister for making Punjab a frontrunner state in the country.
The Chief Minister, while addressing a workshop for the effective paddy straw management here today, underscored the need for financial sustainability of the states to contribute to the socio-economic growth of the country. He said that the states must be empowered to play a bigger and effective role in the development of the country. Bhagwant Mann said that for this the Union government must release the pending share of taxes and Rural Development Fund (RDF).
The Chief Minister sought the kind intervention of the Union Environment Minister Bhupinder Yadav to raise the issue at the appropriate forum. Describing paddy straw as an asset, he underlined the need for developing a sustainable mechanism for the management of the paddy straw burning menace. Bhagwant Mann said that it is a long pending issue of the entire northern region but the farmers lack any viable mechanism to manage Crops residue.
The Chief Minister said that the farmers don’t want to burn the stubble as at the first, the families of farmers have to face the brunt of this menace. He said that the Union government and state governments have to join hands by preparing a joint action plan to combat this menace by ensuring procurement of stubble. Citing an example of Verbio Company, Bhagwant Mann said that this company took the initiative to manage the stubble in 47 thousand acres adding that such companies should be further encouraged.
The Chief Minister said that to combat the problem of paddy menace, the state government has already taken major responsibility of assured remuneration of all crops to motivate diversification. He reiterated that lodging FIRs against the farmers is not the solution to tackle this problem as it involves social stigma. Bhagwant Mann said that dependence of farmers entirely on farming is the main cause of farmers suicide.
Reminding the Union Minister about the rich legacy of the state, the Chief Minister said that the brave and determined heroes of our freedom struggle made enormous sacrifices to remove the shackles of foreign imperialism. He said that it is on record that more than 90% of the great patriots who laid down their lives or were subjected to British tyranny in one form or another were Punjabis. Bhagwant Mann asserted that even today Punjabis are at forefront to safeguard the borders of the country.
The Chief Minister further said that Punjabis led the nation from the front whenever India faced any challenge from internal or external aggression. He said that the hard working and resilient farmers of the state have played a crucial role in making the country self-reliant in food production. Bhagwant Mann envisioned that with the concerted efforts of the state government, the pristine glory of the state would soon be restored.