Punjab CM Mann opposes FIRs against farmers over stubble burning, seeks cash aid

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has said he does not favour filing FIRs against farmers for stubble burning and has once again sought financial assistance from the Centre for paddy growers who choose not to burn crop residue. His remarks come days before the paddy harvesting season begins in the state, with farmers seeking an incentive of Rs 3,000 per acre to manage stubble.

Stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana is frequently linked to worsening air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region. After the paddy harvest in October and November, farmers have a limited window to clear their fields and prepare them for the rabi wheat crop, prompting many to burn the leftover crop residue.

Addressing a gathering after inaugurating the two-day Kisan Mela at Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana on Friday, Mann said Punjab farmers are always blamed for spreading pollution in Delhi by burning paddy straw. “The Centre says Punjab has contributed 180 lakh metric tonnes of paddy to the central pool. But they do not consider how much of that stubble comes from the 180 lakh MT. They suggest registering FIRs,” he said.

Mann said he had told the Centre that farmers do not want to burn paddy stubble because the smoke affects them directly as well. He said he had also conveyed that farmers should be given financial incentives to manage the residue. Referring to pollution concerns beyond India, he said Pakistan Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz had said she would write to him about smoke affecting Lahore. “Is it only our smoke in the air? Do the emissions from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh not contribute? They are merely trying to defame Punjab,” he said. He also said, “I do not feel like registering FIRs against farmers. How can FIRs be filed against them?”

Farmer leaders in Punjab linked Mann’s statements to the upcoming Assembly elections. Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Ugrahan) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokrikalan said the government should first cancel FIRs already registered against farmers for stubble burning. He said Mann’s comments appeared politically motivated in view of the approaching elections. BKU (Lakhowal) leader Harinder Singh Lakhowal also said farmers should be given cash incentives to manage stubble.

Every year, FIRs are filed against farmers for stubble burning. Those found guilty face fines as environmental compensation, and a red entry is made in revenue records, which can stop farmers from getting loans or selling their farmland.

Punjab saw an 86 per cent reduction in stubble fire incidents from 2023 to 2025, with cases falling from 36,663 in 2023 to 10,909 in 2024 and further to 5,114 in 2025. The state had recorded 49,922 farm fire events in 2022, 71,304 in 2021, 76,590 in 2020, 55,210 in 2019 and 50,590 in 2018, with districts such as Sangrur, Mansa, Bathinda and Amritsar seeing a large number of incidents.

The state government runs awareness campaigns at village and block levels to educate farmers about the dangers of burning paddy straw. It also provides subsidised crop residue management machinery, including super seeder, smart seeder, happy seeder, paddy straw chopper, shredder, mulcher, hydraulic reversible mould board plough and zero till drill for in-situ management, and baler and rake for ex-situ management. The subsidy is 50 per cent of the cost for individual farmers and 80 per cent for cooperative societies and panchayats. Overall, Mann’s remarks centred on opposing punitive action against farmers and pushing for financial support to manage paddy stubble ahead of the harvest season.