CHANDIGARH: With 1,150 farm fires reported on Friday across Punjab, the total number of crop-residue burning cases this season touched 33,082.The Punjab police have, till date, registered 763 first information reports (FIRs) against farmers for stubble burning, the cases are mostly registered against ‘unknown persons’.
The state revenue department has marked red entries into the land records of 340 farmers who resorted to the burning of paddy stubble. Once a red entry is made in the land record for stubble burning, a farmer may not be able to take a loan against the said land, mortgage it or sell it.
Sources said that Punjab DGP Gaurav Yadav issued show-cause notices to 11 Senior Superintendent of Police (SSPs) for their alleged failure to prevent farm fires in their districts. All the eleven districts fall in Malwa region of the state.
The district-wise breakup of FIRs lodged against the farmers is: 98 in Bathinda, 86 in Moga, 50 in Sangrur and 39 in Patiala. A fine of Rs 1.39 crore has so far been collectively imposed by the authorities on the farmers.