Stubble burning: Centre’s blame game shows its anti-farmer mindset, says Mann

Even as the air quality in the state has touched a high with stubble burning cases surging with each passing day, chief minister Bhagwant Mann, in Samrala on Thursday again blamed the centre for playing “cheap politics” and accusing the farmers for the same. Mann also claimed air quality of Haryana is worse but Centre is blaming Punjab due to their anti-farmer policies. He said that the paddy straw burning is a joint issue, involving several states and it should be resolved jointly. “The union government is playing cheap politics by blaming the hard working and resilient farmers on this issue. I have sent a detailed proposal for the resolution of the issue to the Union government but the latter has blatantly rejected it,” he said.

The CM said that the Air Quality Index of Faridabad and other cities of Haryana is worse than Punjab but centre is putting the onus on Punjabi farmers, which reflects the anti-farmers and anti-Punjab mindset of the Union government and BJP. He added that the armchair economists sitting in air conditioned offices at Delhi are not offering any solution to the farmers but they are continuously tarnishing their image by falsely accusing them of burning the paddy. He said that humiliation and injustice towards Punjabi farmers is totally unwarranted and undesirable. During a surprise visit to the Tehsil office and Suvidha Centre in Samrala, Mann called upon the people to name the corrupt officers and the government will ensure exemplary punishment against such officials, Mann added.

The CM, while interacting with media persons said if anyone seeks bribe from the people to do any work then they must expose the name of such officer for the severest of severe action. Mann said that as a part of its anti-corruption tirade his government has already put several corrupt officers behind the bars. He was also accompanied by Samrala MLA Jagtar Singh Dyalpura. He asserted that the entire process of ongoing procurement and lifting of the paddy crop will be completed soon. He said he is personally monitoring the entire procurement process to ensure that farmers do not face any sort of inconvenience.