Haryana News: Day after taking oath of office, the Haryana Chief Minister-led cabinet took a decisive decision to tackle the issue of stubble burning in the state. The Haryana Department of Agriculture on Friday announced that an FIR will be registered against farmers who will engage in this practice.

Furthermore, a “red entry” will be recorded in their farm records, which will not allow them to sell their crops through the e-Kharid portal for the next two seasons.

The order dated October 17, 2024, comes in response to the prevailing concerns over the quality of air and environmental degradation caused by crop residue burning.

“Farmers who burn stubble, an FIR should be registered against them, and a red entry should be made in their farm records restricting them from selling their crops in Mandis through the e-Kharid portal during the next two seasons,” the order stated.

Farmers who burn stubble an FIR should be registered against them and a Red entry should be made in their farm records restricting them from selling their crops in Mandis through the e-Kharid portal during the next two seasons, says the Department of Agriculture, Haryana pic.twitter.com/3wm3Jstatn

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2024

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court pulled up the Punjab and Haryana governments over the non-prosecution of violators found guilty of stubble burning while summoning the state chief secretaries to appear before it on October 23 for an explanation.

A bench of Justices Abhay S Oka, Ahsanuddin Amanullah, and Augustine George Maish pointed out “complete insensitivity” on the part of both states, directing the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to take penal action against both government officials for the failure to take action against the violators.

Stubble burning is a major contributor to the rising pollution levels in the national capital.

The apex court was upset over the Punjab and Haryana governments not taking any steps to implement the directions issued by the CAQM in the national capital region (NCR) in June 2021 to stop stubble burning.

“This is not a political matter. If the chief secretary is acting at somebody’s behest, we will issue summons against them as well. Next Wednesday (October 23), we are going to physically call for the chief secretary and explain everything. Nothing has been done; the same is with the Punjab government. The attitude is of complete defiance,” the bench remarked, as quoted by news agency PTI.

(With PTI Inputs)