Terming the role of Punjabis' in farmers' movement against the contentuous three farm laws as significant and pivotal, Punjab Agricultural Minister Randeep Singh Nabha sought immediate announcement on Minimum Support Price (MSP) from the union government.Addressing a gathering of farmers here during a special camp to verify the machinery under crop residue management practice, the minister said that Congress Government in Punjab was the pioneer in passing the resolution against these three laws besides providing jobs to kin of 157 farmers who had lost their lives during the year-long agitation.Accompained by MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikki, Mr. Nabha said that Channi Government was also in the process to provide jobs to the family members of as many as 122 more victims whose names had been suggested by the farm bodies.He reinforced that the state government was committed to securing the interest of state's farmers, adding that a subsidy worth Rs. 14.96 crore for stubble management equipments would also be transferred into the bank accounts of beneficiaries in Jalandhar district.
Appealing farmers to shun stubble burning practices, the minister said that nearly 76000 subsidized machines have been provided to farmers to date so that they are able to manage crop residue efficiently. He said that this move will go a long way in ensuring pollution free environment.The minister further expressed deep concern over depleting water level while urging farmers to undertake measures to further increase the yield of their crops and reduce water consumption.Chief Agriculture Officer Dr. Surinder Singh said that as many as 5696 equipments on subsidized rates have been provided to farmers this year through a network of 1200 custom hiring centers which has translated into sowing of wheat crop directly through superseeder machine on over 70000 hectares of land out of a total of 1.73 lakh hectares land under wheat cultivation.Meanwhile, Dr. Maninder Singh from Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) gave a detailed account on protecting Rabi crops from insecticides. Mr. Nabha also lauded the efforts of progressive farmers of the region besides appealing the others to follow their footprints. Meanwhile, Secretary Agriculture Dilraj Singh Sandhawalia along with the officials of the department present a momento to the minister.