Farmers in eight blocks of seven districts in northern Haryana will not be able to cultivate paddy on the panchayati land. The principal secretary, Development and Panchayat, has conveyed the decision, apparently taken to check depleting water table and enforce crop diversification, to the DCs concerned.

In fact, the decision seems to be a continuation of the pilot project of crop diversification to discourage paddy cultivation announced by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar in May last year. The project, which was implemented in seven above blocks except Saha provided for certain incentives, including Rs 2,000 cash reward per acre for shifting to non-paddy crops such as maize and pulses. Meanwhile, AICC communication in charge Randeep Surjewala termed the decision as another conspiracy by the Khattar Government against the farming community.

Gurnam Singh Charuni, president of the BKU (Haryana), termed the decision as illogical saying that such one-sided decisions would not fetch desired results. “The state government should offer incentives for farmers to diversify from wheat and paddy rather than imposing dictatorial decisions on farmers,” he said.

‘Restrictive list’

Assandh (Karnal), Pundri (Kaithal), Narwana (Jind), Thanesar (Kurukehetra), Ambala-1 and Saha (Ambala), Radaur (Yamunanagar), and Ganaur (Sonepat)

This news has not been edited by Apni Kheti staff but has been published by various news feeds

Source: The Tribune