Farmers unfazed, early sowing on

State govt ban on paddy transplantation till June 10
Farmers unfazed, early sowing on
Rajay Deep
Tribune News Service

Khidkiyan Wala (Muktsar), June 5

It is chief minister Parkash Singh Badal’s home district—Muktsar. But the ‘strict’ warning of the state government imposing a ban on paddy transplantation before the scheduled date (June 10) is falling flat.
The restriction was imposed keeping in view the rapid depletion of groundwater, but the effort have failed to show the desired results.
Though a number of officials of the agriculture department and even the DCs were authorized to plough fields and charge the cost from the violator who goes in for early plantation but boasting of their proximity with the CM, farmers of this district are least bothered and are throw the rules to the wind.
Ironically, due to the high level connections of the farmers, the district level staff of the agriculture department too has turned a blind eye towards the defiance and the early sowing of paddy is going unchecked.
During a visit to the villages located in Lambi, Gidderbaha and Muktsar blocks today, it was found that several acres of fields were covered with standing paddy crop.
Reaching village Khidkiyan Wala, a number of farmers along with their helpers were found busy planting paddy in a large field located along a canal distributary.
Though aware of the ban on early plantation, they were still busy with the job. Replying to a query, the owner of the field said, “If I had started late, labour problems would have marred the crop.”
Speaking innocently, a farm labourer, Hari Chand, who was planting paddy along a link road diverting from the Gidderbaha-Lambi road said, “My employer (owner of this field) is aware of the restriction imposed by the government to check early sowing till June 10. But he enjoys proximity to Finance Minister Manpreet Badal as well as CM Parkash Singh Badal. So he is carrying it out.”
When contacted, the Chief Agriculture Officer, Muktsar, Sukhdev Singh Sidhu said, “We are aware and notice is being issued to the violators. Utilizing the authority invested in us, we have even destroyed the transplanted paddy also.”
On the other hand, sources in the district agriculture office, said, “To save their skin, the officials have evolved a strategy to destroy the crop in the field, which got highlighted in the media.”