CHANDIGARH: Days after the Supreme Court had pulled up both Punjab and Haryana for tolerating the farm fires by collecting nominal fines and without initiating criminal prosecution against a single farmer under the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) the Punjab Police has registered 874 FIRs and 471 daily diary report (DDRs). Pertinently, complying with the directions of the Supreme Court and Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) to bring down stubble burning cases to zero, DGP Gaurav Yadav had appointed Special DGP Arpit Shukla as the police nodal officer to monitor action against stubble burning. Yadav has also been holding meetings with all the senior officers, range officers, CPs and SSPs besides station house officers (SHOs) to personally review the cases of stubble burning in the state on a day-to-day basis. Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said that the Punjab Police jointly with the Civil Administration has initiated a massive campaign to educate farmers about the harmful effects of burning stubble and also taking legal action against those found putting matchstick to paddy straw. Shukla said that police teams along with civil administration have been making untiring efforts at the ground level to curb the menace of stubble burning in the state. He said that DCs, SSPs, SDMs and DSPs have been conducting joint tours at villages, which have been identified as stubble burning hotspots and holding public awareness meetings with various farmer unions at district and sub-divisional levels. As many as 522 joint tours were made by DCs and SSPs and 981 joint tours were made by SDMs and DSPs in the last few days, during which they held 2504 public awareness meetings, while, 2457 meetings were organised with the farmer unions. He said that legal action is being initiated against those found burning stubble. Till now, 1393 farm fires have been detected by satellites in the state, and joint teams were sent for inspection on the spot, he said, while adding that police teams have registered FIRs in 874 cases, while, no case of stubble burning was found at 471 spots. However, daily diary report (DDR) entries of 471 cases were made at the concerned police stations.
Source link
