Chandigarh, November 10
Bharatiya Janata Party Punjab President Kewal Singh Dhillon today mounted a sharp counter-offensive against the Bhagwant Mann government over its failure to manage crop residue, asserting that the Aam Aadmi Party cannot escape its four-and-a- half-year record in Punjab by staging press conferences to blame Delhi.
Dhillon stated that on November 4, 2022, Arvind Kejriwal publicly accepted responsibility for farm fires alongside Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, seeking one year to resolve the crisis. Over four years into its tenure, the Mann administration has failed to provide accessible alternatives, leaving farmers stranded.
Where is the Bio-Decomposer? What happened to the Pusa Bio-Decomposer heavily promoted by AAP? How many acres were sprayed, what was the state-level expenditure, and what measurable results were achieved? Where Did the ₹2,056.50 Crore Go? The Central Government released ₹2,056.50 crore to Punjab under the Crop Residue Management (CRM) Scheme up to 2025–26. Where has every single rupee been spent, and how much has actually reached farmers?
Where Are the 94,456 Machines? The Agriculture Department claims 94,456 CRM machines were deployed. How many are operational, how many Custom Hiring Centres are functional, and how many marginal farmers can actually access them during the sowing window?
Why No Direct Cash Incentive? While Haryana provides ₹1,000 to ₹1,200 per acre to its farmers, why did the Punjab government fail to independently fund its promised ₹2,500-per-acre cash assistance?
Why Slap FIRs and Red Entries on Annadatas? Why is the Mann government booking small farmers under police sections and making punitive red entries in revenue records to conceal its own administrative paralysis?
Dhillon demanded an immediate, independent audit of CRM machinery funds, an immediate rollback of punitive red entries against farmers, and practical per-acre financial support.
