Stubble burning: Centre should provide compensation, says Sukhbir Badal

Shiromani Akali Dal President Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday demanded that the Central Government should provide a compensation package or make arrangements to purchase the stubble as the blame game continues between neighbouring Haryana and Punjab governments over the deteriorating air pollution.

The SAD leader also slammed the previous Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress government "for doing nothing" with regard to the stubble burning issue.

"The government should provide compensation or make arrangements to purchase the stubble. Sardar Parkash Singh Badal (late Chief Minister of Punjab) built 12-13 power plants that used to function with stubble, but later, Captain Amarinder Singh (government) came, and they didn't do anything... The central government should provide a compensation package," Badal told ANI.

Meanwhile, Punjab Minister Bram Shanker Sharma said on Friday that the cases of stubble burning have gone down by 50 per cent this year.

Bram Shanker Sharma told ANI "Haryana is the nearest to Delhi. Punjab comes next. First, Pollution from Haryana will reach Delhi first. Secondly, we have data that the cases of stubble burning have gone down by 50 per cent this year. It means that the Punjab Government has brought this under control by 50 per cent."

Haryana Government on Friday released images that they claim are from NASA which shows that there are more than double stubbing burning incidents in Punjab as compared to Haryana on October 25 and 26.

Meanwhile, Shiromani Akal Dal has targeted the CM Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government in Punjab.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Bikram Singh Majithia told ANI "It's the politics of Arvind Kejriwal, it's his failure. Only a very small percentage is due to farmers, the rest is due to construction, industrial and vehicular pollution. They are cheating the farmers of Punjab."

Jawahar Yadav, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar's OSD (Officer on Special Duty) has targeted Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and Punjab over the issue of stubble burning.

"There is data from NASA of October 25 and 26, which clearly shows where there is stubble burning in Punjab and in Haryana. More than double stubble burning has occurred in Punjab as compared to Haryana. The Haryana government has brought it down. The silence of Arvind Kejriwal about the NASA data creates suspicion. He has alleged that Indian agencies are not giving data on pollution. Why does he need it now? The Punjab government has failed, and Arvind Kejriwal's face has been exposed in front of the public," Jawahar Yadav, OSD to Haryana CM said.

Daljit Singh Cheema, SAD party leader said "We need to discuss what all the state governments were able to do and things they were not able to do to stop pollution due to stubble burning. Big pro-farmer announcements are made but nothing happens. A solution to this issue can be found only when governments provide adequate machinery & financial support to farmers."

As the overall air quality in Delhi continues to remain in the 'Poor' category with the Air Quality Index (AQI) recorded at 249 on Friday morning, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that a 15-point winter action plan is being implemented one by one to curb the pollution.