AAP Spokesperson Neel Garg questions – If the Centre was so concerned about stubble burning, why did they refuse to provide Rs. 1200 Crore?
Punjab Newsline, Chandigarh-
The AAP strongly criticised the Central Government's decision to double the fine for stubble burning. AAP senior leader and spokesperson Neel Garg stated that farmers in Punjab are already facing financial hardship, and now, on top of that, the Central Government has imposed a doubled fine on them.
Neel Garg said that the Punjab Government had sought Rs. 1200 crore from the Centre to tackle this issue and reduce incidents of stubble burning by providing financial incentives to farmers to discourage the practice. He questioned why the Centre had refused to provide this assistance if they were genuinely concerned about stubble burning.
He pointed out that, due to the efforts of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the AAP government, the number of stubble burning incidents in Punjab had significantly reduced over the past three years. If the Centre had provided the requested financial support, these incidents would have dropped even further. However, instead of offering help, the Centre imposed a fine.