With his comments, which could possibly generate a debate in days to come, Punjab agriculture and rural development minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal on Monday questioned role of paddy cultivation in the state, calling its introduction “a conspiracy to deplete ground water”.
Speaking at a seminar organised at Punjabi University, for discussing ways to tackle stubble burning and promotion of natural farming, the minister pointed out that “even though rice was not a main part of its diet, the paddy was a curse for Punjab”, as its stubble management had now become a problem, he added. The minister said that by cultivating millets, the area under paddy can be curtailed. He said farmers’ organisations should make a fervent appeal not to burn stubble as the government is serious about resolving the issue.
Also speaking at the event, Vidhan Sabha Speaker, Kultar Singh Sandhawan said that the government will honour farmers doing natural farming.