FARMER SHIFTING FROM PADDY TO ALTERNATIVE CROP TO GET ₹17.5K PER HECTARE IN PUNJAB
* MOVE AIMED AT DISCOURAGING FARMERS TO CULTIVATE WATER-GUZZLING PADDY CROP, SAYS GURMEET SINGH KHUDIAN
* BENEFICIARY FARMERS CAN AVAIL BENEFITS ON MAXIMUM FIVE HECTARES
Chandigarh, July 20:With an aim to wean away the state farmers from the water-guzzling paddy crop to arrest the depleting groundwater as mandated by Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare department has decided to provide incentive of Rs.17,500 per hectare for encouraging farmers to shift to alternative crops.
Revealing this here today in a press communiqué, Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian said that in this regard an amount of Rs. 289.87 crores has been allocated for FY 2024-25.
Giving breakups of the revamped Crop Diversification Programme (CDP) for replacing paddy, he said that under this program, any farmer can avail the benefits on maximum five hectares, and the incentive amount will be directly transferred to the bank account of beneficiary farmer via Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) in two equal instalments. First instalment will be transferred immediately after verification through Digital Crop Survey and Krishi Mapper app, second instalment will be transferred immediately after the crop harvest.
S. Gurmeet Singh Khudian further stated that Punjab played crucial role in the green revolution which helped the nation to become independent in food security. Cultivation of paddy in Punjab leads to over-dependence on tubewell irrigation which resulted into depletion of groundwater. Chief Minister S. Bhagwant Singh Mann led Punjab Government has decided to implement the revised CDP in all the Districts of Punjab and preference would be given to critical and over exploited blocks of the identified districts.
Special Chief Secretary Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Mr. KAP Sinha informed that GoI has launched a revamped Crop Diversification Programme (CDP)- to encourage farmers to diversify paddy to alternative crops during Kharif season 2024. He said that Farmer can apply online on State portal to avail scheme benefits. For effective and smooth implementation of the program, a state and district level committees will be constituted in the state, he added.
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PUNJAB POLICE BUSTS TRANS-BORDER NARCO SYNDICATE; BIG FISH AMONG THREE DRUG SMUGGLERS HELD
— POLICE TEAMS ALSO RECOVER 1 KG ICE DRUG, 2.45 KG HEROIN AND 520 GRAMS PRECURSOR CHEMICAL PSEUDOEPHEDRINE
— CM BHAGWANT SINGH MANN'S PERSISTENT CAMPAIGN AGAINST DRUGS LEADING TO BREAKING SUPPLY CHAIN; SMUGGLERS NOW RESORTING TO MANUFACTURING SYNTHETIC DRUGS
— ARRESTED BIG FISH GURBAX LALA WAS ACTIVELY SOURCING PRECURSOR CHEMICALS TO ADULTERATE CRUDE HEROIN AND TO MANUFACTURE ICE DRUG, SAYS DGP GAURAV YADAV
— ACCUSED GURBAX ALIAS LALA WAS ALSO ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN AMRITSAR CENTRAL JAIL’S ‘FENKA’ ACTIVITY: CP ASR RANJIT SINGH DHILLON
CHANDIGARH/AMRITSAR, July 20:Striking a major blow to the trans-border narcotic smuggling amidst the ongoing war against drugs waged on the directions of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann, Amritsar Commissionerate Police has apprehended three drug smugglers including a big fish identified as Gurbax alias Lala of Chheharta and seized 1 Kg Ice (Methamphetamine), 2.45 Kg Heroin and 520 grams pseudoephedrine— a precursor chemical from their possession, said Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav here on Saturday.
“Drug smuggler Gurbax alias Lala has been actively sourcing the precursor chemicals, used to adulterate crude heroin to increase its potent effect, and to manufacture Crystal Methamphetamine (ICE),” he said, while adding that accused Lala used to earn a commission of Rs 50,000 per consignment.
Pertinently, Punjab Police’s persistent fight against drugs, which is resulting in breaking the supply chain of drugs, smugglers are now resorting to local manufacturing of synthetic drugs, like ICE, using precursor chemicals to fill the vaccum. Taliban in Afganistan has also put ban on production of opium which is also a reason behind paucity of heroin supply.
Apart from big fish Gurbax alias Lala, other two arrested drug peddlers have been identified as Daljit Kaur and Arshdeep, both residents of Chheharta. Accused Gurbax alias Lala and Arshdeep have criminal history and both are out on bail.
The DGP said that the Amritsar Commissionerate Police has also traced the backward link of accused Gurbax alias Lala and Police teams are on manhunt to nab the kingpin of this narco-syndicate.
The development came after meticulous investigations of backward and forward linkages carried out by the Amritsar Commissionerate Police into the arrest of a local drug peddler Daljit Kaur from Kot Khalsa area on June 16, 2024, who was arrested with 50 grams heroin. The latter’s arrest further led to the arrest of her accomplice drug peddler Arshdeep from Chheharta area along with 200 grams heroin.
Sharing more details, Commissioner of Police (CP) Amritsar Ranjit Singh Dhillon said that during investigation carried out by special operational team of Police Station Anngarh led by SI Balwinder Singh under the supervision of ADCP Zone 1 Dr Darpan Ahluwalia and ACP Central Surinder Singh, into the arrest of accused Daljit Kaur and Arshdeep, backward linkage was traced to Gurbax Lala. The latter was then nabbed in a meticulous operation spanning over four days, with recovery of 1Kg ICE, 2Kg 200gm Heroin and 520gm of precursor pseudoephedrine, he added.
He said that accused Gurbax alias Lala, who has been facing cases pertaining to murder, Arms Act and NDPS act, was also actively involved in Amritsar Central Jail’s ‘Fenka’ activity. Multiple bidis rolled into packs were also recovered from his possession by the Police teams, he said, while adding that further investigations are on.
A case FIR no. 115 dated 16/6/24 had been registered under section 21-B of the NDPS act at Police Station Islamabad