PATIALA: A large number of farmers associated with the Kisan Morcha on Thursday dumped paddy stubble loaded in several tractor-trailers in front of the Sangrur deputy commissioner (DC)’s office while protesting against the ban on setting the crop residue on fire.The farmers arrived outside the DC’s office at around 12 noon and started throwing stubble all over the road. They held a demonstration and raised anti-establishment slogans.One of the farmers, Bhupinder Singh, said a small window between harvesting paddy and sowing of wheat was forcing them to set the crop residue on fire. He said the farmers were prepared to face police cases as they do not have many options for managing the crop residue.Another farmer, Balbir Singh said the government officials were trying to mount pressure on the farmers, but no one was coming forward with financially-viable alternatives for farmers.Chhatar Singh said the prices of diesel were soaring and engaging labourers to clean paddy fields was a costly affair. “Until the government offers cash incentives to manage the crop residue, nothing is going to change,” he said.Joginder Singh, another farmer who was protesting outside the DC’s office, said the farmers did not want to burn the crop residue as they too breathe in smoke — much before it reaches the National Capital Region.Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was in Sangrur on Thursday, revealed that he had met Union minister for environment Harsh Vardhan and had even written to the chief ministers of Punjab and Haryana, but claimed that they had failed to take required measures to deal with the incidents of stubble burning.Sangrur DC Ghanshyam Thori said the district administration had invited the farmers for talks to persuade them not to violate the ban on stubble burning. He said stubble management equipment had been dispatched across the district and local officials had been directed to take action against any violation of ban on setting stubble on fire.

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