Punjab govt tasks 10 administrative secretaries with checking stubble burning

A man burns paddy waste stubble in a field on the outskirts of Chandigarh, India November 8, 2016. REUTERS/Ajay Verma - D1BEULQOFXAA

The Punjab government Tuesday deputed 10 senior administrative secretaries to check stubble burning and make people aware about the harmful practice. The officials have also been asked to review paddy procurement on a daily basis.

Kahan Singh Pannu, the nodal officer for the Anti-Stubble Burning Campaign, in a release said Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh has issued directives to all agencies and officials engaged for this task to ensure seamless operations of paddy procurement.

He said that elaborate arrangements have been made for procuring 200 lakh metric tonnes of paddy in a prompt and hassle-free manner and for ensuring basic amenities to facilitate farmers in mandis.

Pannu said that the chief minister has asked the senior administrative secretaries to effectively coordinate to contain stubble burning in the districts allotted to them.

Additional Chief Secretary, Taxation, MP Singh and Secretary, Technical Education, DK Tiwari would coordinate the campaign to sensitise farmers in Kapurthala, Jalandhar, SBS Nagar and Hoshiarpur districts.

Additional Chief Secretary, Development, Viswajeet Khanna and PWD Secretary Hussan Lal will oversee the campaign in Patiala, Sangrur, Barnala and Mansa districts.

Additional Chief Secretary, Sports, Sanjay Kumar and Secretary, Water Supply and Sanitation, Jaspreet Talwar will monitor all activities to stop stubble burning in Ludhiana, Moga, Fatehgarh Sahib, Ropar and Mohali districts.

Financial Commissioner, Rural Development and Panchayats, Anurag Verma and Registrar Cooperative Societies Vikas Garg will oversee the operation in Tarn Taran, Amritsar, Pathankot and Gurdaspur districts.

Principal Secretary, Science Technology, RK Verma and Secretary, Agriculture, K S Pannu will supervise operations in this regard in Bathinda, Faridkot, Sri Muktsar Sahib, Fazilka and Ferozepur districts.