<p> Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking compensation for farmers for crop resident management to check stubble burning.</p>.<p>Stubble burning has triggered a major smog crisis in the northern belt of the country.</p>.<p>Singh also requested Modi to convene a meeting of chief ministers of the affected states along with the Union ministers for agriculture, food and environment.</p>.<p>Reiterating his earlier request, Singh sought Modi's intervention for arresting the problem of paddy straw burning by providing a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal as an incentive to compensate farmers to manage the crop residue scientifically.</p>.<p>Singh pointed out that most of north India, including the national capital, is currently in the throes of a pollution crisis, induced largely by burning of paddy straw in the paddy-growing areas of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.</p>.<p>The higher courts of the country and the National Green Tribunal have also taken cognizance of the matter.</p>.<p>"What is probably not being understood in proper perspective is that a problem which is essentially scientific and economic cannot be tackled through other means, including coercion", Singh said.</p>.<p>Scientific management and disposal of paddy straw entail a significant cost for the farmer and he (farmer) prefers the cheaper and easy solution of burning the crop residue, said Singh.</p>.<p>There are at present no technical or biological systems for managing this farm operation that is economically attractive to the farmer, he added.</p>.<p>Singh asked the prime minister to "release compensation by way of direct benefit transfer to farmers after due verification."</p>
<p> Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking compensation for farmers for crop resident management to check stubble burning.</p>.<p>Stubble burning has triggered a major smog crisis in the northern belt of the country.</p>.<p>Singh also requested Modi to convene a meeting of chief ministers of the affected states along with the Union ministers for agriculture, food and environment.</p>.<p>Reiterating his earlier request, Singh sought Modi's intervention for arresting the problem of paddy straw burning by providing a bonus of Rs 100 per quintal as an incentive to compensate farmers to manage the crop residue scientifically.</p>.<p>Singh pointed out that most of north India, including the national capital, is currently in the throes of a pollution crisis, induced largely by burning of paddy straw in the paddy-growing areas of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.</p>.<p>The higher courts of the country and the National Green Tribunal have also taken cognizance of the matter.</p>.<p>"What is probably not being understood in proper perspective is that a problem which is essentially scientific and economic cannot be tackled through other means, including coercion", Singh said.</p>.<p>Scientific management and disposal of paddy straw entail a significant cost for the farmer and he (farmer) prefers the cheaper and easy solution of burning the crop residue, said Singh.</p>.<p>There are at present no technical or biological systems for managing this farm operation that is economically attractive to the farmer, he added.</p>.<p>Singh asked the prime minister to "release compensation by way of direct benefit transfer to farmers after due verification."</p>
