'No Doubt Over Who Has Turned Delhi Into A Gas Chamber': Union Environment Minister Slams AAP
The state bought 1,20,000 machines. 11,275 of those machines have gone missing. Money utilisation shows clear incompetence, said the minister.
New Delhi: Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav slammed Aam Aadmi Party over Delhi's shocking levels of air pollution on Wednesday. "As of today, Punjab, a state run by the AAP government, has seen an over 19% rise in farm fires over 2021. Haryana has seen a 30.6% drop. Just today, Punjab saw 3,634 fires. There is no doubt over who has turned Delhi into a gas chamber," Yadav tweeted.
Sample this: As of today, Punjab, a state run by the AAP government, has seen an over 19% rise in farm fires over 2021. Haryana has seen a 30.6% drop.
— Bhupender Yadav (@byadavbjp) November 2, 2022
Just today, Punjab saw 3,634 fires.
There is no doubt over who has turned Delhi into a gas chamber.
Wondering how? Read on... pic.twitter.com/Nh8fYN9gnf
"Scam is where AAP is. In the last 5 years, the Central Government gave ₹ 1,347 crore for crop residue management machines to Punjab. The state bought 1,20,000 machines. 11,275 of those machines have gone missing. Money utilisation shows clear incompetence," he alleged.
"Last year, ₹ 212 crore were left unspent. This year, the Central Govt gave Punjab ₹ 280 crore for crop residue management machines. So about ₹ 492 crore was available but the state govt chose to sit with the funds forcing helpless farmers to burn the crop residue," the minister wrote.
"The Chief Minister of Punjab has failed to even provide relief to farmers in his own turf of Sangrur. Last year (Sept 15-Nov 2) farm fires in Sangrur stood at 1,266. This year they have shot up by 139% rising to 3,025," Yadav said, targeting Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
The minister's comment came after the air quality in the national capital continued to deteriorate on Wednesday falling under ‘very poor’ category. The air quality index (AQI) in Delhi was recorded at 354 this morning, reported news agency ANI. The air quality in adjoining cities of Noida and Gurugram also continued to dip.
The AQI in Noida this morning was at 406, placing the city in the ‘severe’ category while in Gurugram the air quality remained ‘very poor’ with an AQI of 346. The air quality measured near Terminal 3 of Delhi airport also remained in ‘very poor’ category with an AQI of 350.
Earlier today, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai alleged that the BJP was targetting Punjab farmers for stubble burning because of their previous protests against the contentious farm reform laws, which the Centre was forced to withdraw last year. Amid a war of words between AAP and BJP over the deteriorating air quality in Delhi, Rai said farmers were forced to burn stubble in Punjab because the Centre did not support the state government's plan to provide a cash incentive to them, PTI reported.
Addressing a press conference, Rai said, "Everybody is asking the same question -- why has stubble burning not reduced despite AAP being in power in Delhi and Punjab? Stubble burning has not reduced because the Centre has denied support."
"The Centre betrayed the farmers. I think they hate farmers because of the protests (against the farm laws)," Rai said.
In July, the AAP-led governments of Delhi and Punjab sent a joint proposal to the Centre asking for assistance in providing financial incentives to farmers in the agrarian state for preventing burning of stubble.
As per the proposal, Delhi and Punjab would be contributing Rs 500 each and the Centre would contribute Rs 1,500 for each acre. Farmers have said that a cash incentive can help them in covering the cost of fuel used to operate the machinery for the in-situ management of paddy straw.
An AQI between zero and 50 is considered "good", 51 and 100 "satisfactory", 101 and 200 "moderate", 201 and 300 "poor", 301 and 400 "very poor", and 401 and 500 "severe".
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