Lok Sabha Question No. 2091 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-12-20
Subject: Stubble Management Machines
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Harsimrat Kaur Badal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE & FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2091

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 20 TH  DECEMBER 2022

## STUBBLE MANAGEMENT MACHINES

2091.  SHRIMATI HARSIMRAT KAUR BADAL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is aware of raging farm fires in Punjab;
- (b) if so, whether the cases of farm fires have increased due to mismanagement of handling stubble management machines;
- (c) if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government is aware that the delivery of stubble management machines to farmers is dismally low this year; and
- (e) the steps taken/to be taken by the Government regarding mismanagement of stubble machines in the State of Punjab?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

क ृ षि एवं षकसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

- (a): Paddy stubble burning is mainly practiced in Indo-gangetic plains of the States of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to clear the fields for Rabi Crop sowing.
- (b) and (c):  As per the satellite data collected by the Consortium for Research on Agroecosystem Monitoring and Modeling from Space (CREAMS) Laboratory, Division of Agricultural Physics, ICAR  -  Indian Agricultural Research  Institute,  New  Delhi,  the  active  fire  events  due  to  paddy  residue burning during 2022 season in the State of Punjab were 49922 numbers which are less by about 30 percent as compared to 71304 number of events reported during last year.

(d) and (e): To support the efforts of the Governments of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar  Pradesh  and  NCT  of  Delhi  to  address  air  pollution  and  to  subsidize machinery required for management of crop residue, a Central Sector Scheme on 'Promotion of Agricultural Mechanization for In-Situ Management of Crop Residue in the States of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and NCT of Delhi' is being implemented by the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare from 2018-19. Under this scheme, funds are provided to the State Governments for extending  financial  assistance  to  farmers  and  Custom  Hiring  Centres  for purchase of crop residue management machines. During the period from 201819 to 2021-22, the funds amounting to Rs. 1147.62 Crores have been released to  the  State  of  Punjab.  During  the  current  year  2022-23,  an  amount  of  Rs. 278.83  Crores  have  been  released  to  the  State  of  Punjab  and  an  unspent amount  of  Rs.  212.45  Crores  out  of  the  previous  releases  has  also  been revalidated  for  utilization  during  2022-23.  The  Department  of  Agriculture  & Farmers Welfare reviews  implementation of the  scheme on  regular  basis  at various levels. This included meeting taken by Hon'ble Minister of Agriculture & Farmers  Welfare  on  21.09.2022  and  Inter-ministerial  meeting  of  Hon'ble Ministers of  Ministry  Agriculture  &  Farmers Welfare,  Ministry  of  Environment Forest and Climate Change and Ministry of Fisheries Animal Husbandry and Dairying with the State Chief Secretaries convened on 19.10.2022.

Identification of beneficiary, delivery of machines and disbursement of financial assistance  to  the  identified  beneficiaries,  monitoring  of  the  utilization  of machines for paddy straw management etc. is done at the State level. As per the information provided by the State of Punjab, the delivery of machines during 2022-23 has been effected through an online process ensuring transparency in the  system  and  during  the  current  season  21024  different  crop  residue management machines have already been made available to the farmers in the State.

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