HC seeks Punjab’s response on red entry in revenue records of farmers

The high court bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Anil Kshetarpal has sought response from the state by November 14

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Wednesday sought response from the Punjab government on a plea seeking directions that red entry be not marked in the revenue record of the farmers and firearm licences be not cancelled in order to penalise those found burning stubble in their fields during paddy harvesting season.

The plea has been filed by KS Raju Legal Trust, a Chandigarh based organisation. (HT File)

The high court bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Anil Kshetarpal has sought response from the state by November 14.

The plea from KS Raju Legal Trust, a Chandigarh based organisation, cites a media report indicating that deputy commissioners and police officers have warned farmers with coercive action including red entries in their land record and cancellation of their arms licences with respect to stubble burning. Major reason behind the stubble burning is the short time available between rice harvesting and sowing of wheat as delay in sowing wheat affects the crop, it added.

“Farmers are conscious of the harmful effects of stubble burning but they are forced to burn it for want of economically viable alternative offered by the state government,” it says demanding that support should be extended to farmers financially as well as logistically to discourage them from resorting to stubble burning.