No MSP For Paddy? Centre Discusses Ideas To Counter Stubble Burning, Maize Farming To Be Promoted With Ethanol Incentives

An urgent meeting was convened by the Union Cabinet Secretary on Wednesday (8 November), bringing together stakeholder ministries and state governments to deliberate on the necessary measures for the implementation of the Supreme Court's directions issued this week regarding the air emergency in Delhi-NCR.

According to Economic Times, the Cabinet Secretary conducted a comprehensive assessment of the air pollution situation in Delhi-NCR and emphasised the importance of taking strong action in line with the Supreme Court's directives.

During the meeting, there were detailed discussions on the specific directions given to the Central ministries, departments, state governments, and the urgency of their prompt execution.

Due to the significant amount of paddy straw burning that occurs each year in Punjab and Haryana, the government is acknowledging the need to address this issue.

As a first step, the Centre is considering the possibility of implementing a Minimum Support Price for crops other than paddy. Additionally, states have been urged to explore methods of gradually reducing paddy cultivation and transitioning to alternative crops starting from the coming year.

During the meeting, the Centre explored strategies to encourage the growth of maize farming through offering incentives for ethanol production as a substitute for paddy cultivation.

During the discussions on stubble management, the Cabinet Secretary explored the concept of joint funding models. In order to address the issue, the Supreme Court proposed a funding arrangement where the Centre would contribute 50 per cent of the cost for paddy stubble management.

The government of Punjab, being the largest generator of paddy straw, would be responsible for providing 25 per cent of the funding, while the remaining 25 per cent would come from the Delhi government.

During the meeting, the agriculture ministry discussed the increased utilisation of PUSA bio decomposer. Senior officials from various ministries including the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ministry of Power, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare, and Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs were present. Additionally, chief secretaries and senior officials from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan also attended the meeting.