look news india
Ban on paddy cultivation: After the draft Punjab agriculture policy was made public, Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the proposal to ban paddy cultivation in 15 blocks where groundwater levels are falling
It is learnt that the draft agriculture policy advocates a ban on paddy cultivation in Barnala, Bhakt Bhai Ka, Bhawanigarh, Jalandhar East and some other blocks. There is also talk of encouraging farmers in these areas to choose alternative crops like cotton, maize, sugarcane, vegetables and orchards.
Bajwa condemned the ban on paddy cultivation in 15 blocks and said it was not a permanent solution. Senior Congress leader Bajwa said crop diversification was possible only when farmers were given assured prices on alternative crops. Without a guaranteed minimum support price (MSP) on alternative crops, it would not be fair to encourage farmers to switch to alternative crops.
He said there is no doubt that the state is on the verge of facing a severe groundwater crisis. Punjab farmers are also aware of this fact and they are ready to move towards alternative crops. However, getting MSP guarantee has been one of the most important demands of the farmers and they have been struggling for it for the last several years.
the opposition leader said The Aam Aadmi Party has Before coming to power in the state, MSP on some crops was promised. Meanwhile, no one in the government wants to pay attention to this issue. It should not go back on the promise made to the farmers.
He said that ever since AAP came to power in Punjab, it has not fulfilled a single promise made to the farmers. Despite the promise, the government has imposed a ban on the groundnut crop. Minimum Support Price Similarly, no compensation was given to flood-affected farmers and no cash incentives were given to farmers for managing paddy straw.