Bhopal: The Madhya Pradesh cabinet, in a move that balances leniency with determination, has announced the cessation of benefits under the ‘Kisan Samman Nidhi’ scheme and the procurement of farm produce at minimum support prices for farmers who burn wheat or other crop stubble in their fields.
State Urban Development Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya clarified the government’s stance, emphasising that while legal penalties will be avoided as far as possible against farmers, the importance of environmental conservation cannot be overlooked.
He stated, “The government will neither procure the produce from such farmers nor transfer the yearly ‘Kisan Samman Nidhi’ for those farmers who will keep on burning stubble.”
They may lose other benefits too, the minister said.
Under the ‘PM Kisan Samman Nidhi’ Central scheme, farmers currently receive Rs 6,000 annually in equal instalments of Rs 2,000 each, and wheat is procured at a rate of Rs 2,600 per quintal, including Rs 175 per quintal bonus for the ongoing Rabi season.
Despite stringent measures, Madhya Pradesh has emerged as the state with the highest instances of stubble (locally known as Parali) burning, surpassing even Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
According to satellite data from the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modelling from Space (ICAR-CREAMS), the state reported 28,705 fire incidents of stubble burning, generating 281,171 Fair and Remunerative Price (FRP) across its 50 districts as of April 28.
CREAMS, a governmental body, employs satellite technology to oversee incidents of stubble burning nationwide. This data underscores the persistent nature of the issue.
For example, from April 1 to April 17, Madhya Pradesh recorded a staggering 13,411 incidents compared to only 13 in Punjab. While Punjab has reached only 444 cases of fire incidents in 23 districts by April 28, Madhya Pradesh’s numbers remain alarmingly high.
Efforts to curb this practice have ramped up across the state. Written appeals and video campaigns urging farmers to halt post-harvest stubble burning are being disseminated widely. Yet, in 2024 alone, Madhya Pradesh documented 11,382 fire incidents of this harmful activity.
In Madhya Pradesh, Sheopur led the tally with 2,508 cases, while Punjab’s Sangrur trailed with 1,725.
The satellite data as of Monday further revealed 176,237 fire occurrences linked to stubble burning across 177 districts within five major wheat-producing states of India, signifying the magnitude of this environmental challenge and the urgency to address it.
IANS
